Fred R. Barnard is often credited with the origin of the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words “ in the early 1920s. He used the phrase to commend the use of graphics and photos in advertising.
Modifying Barnard’s proverb to “a number is worth a thousand words” provides a succinct way to look at the growing crises in the US.
Consider the following:
- 898,000 workers filed for unemployment benefits – highest number since August;
- 7.7 million workers lost jobs with employer-sponsored health insurance along with 6.9 covered dependents during the COVID-19 pandemic;
- 8.2 million US Covid-19 cases;
- 223,000 million US Covid-19 deaths;
- 53,000 one-week average of new daily cases – an increase of more than 55% in one month.
The numbers indeed tell a story, albeit a very grim story.
For this Weekend’s Reading, check out Life without the Affordable Care Act? to read about potential impacts of repealing the ACA on private and public health insurance and the individuals who depend on coverage. Next, explore Danger in the Herd for articles on the high risks of a herd immunity approach to COVID-19, leading scientists’ call for action, as well as insight into Sweden’s herd immunity model and current results. Explore Five & Under for articles that can be read in 5 minutes or less. Last but not least, check out Treats, Tips and Halloween – and do not miss reading about the history of candy corn!
I hope you enjoy the following:
1. Life without the ACA?
- Forbes: ACA Repeal By The Supreme Court Will Be Robin Hood In Reverse
- University of Southern California (USC) – Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Health Policy: A Supreme Court decision to strike down the ACA would create chaos in the health care system
- The Conversation: If the Supreme Court strikes down the Affordable Care Act, Trump’s health care order is not enough to replace it
2. Danger in the Herd
- TIME: The Swedish COVID-19 Response Is a Disaster. It Shouldn’t Be a Model for the Rest of the World
- The Lancet: Scientific consensus on the COVID-19 pandemic: we need to act now
- STAT: We cannot rely on magical thinking: Herd immunity is not a plan
- The Lancet: The art of medicine – A history of herd immunity
3. Five & Under
- Kaiser Family Foundation: The Cost of Inpatient and Outpatient Care Drives High Health Spending in the U.S. Relative to Other Countries, New Analysis Finds
- Mayo News Network: Fluzone High-Dose: What distinguishes it from other flu vaccines?
- WebMD: ‘Can You Get COVID-19 Standing in Line?’
- American Journal of Managed Care: Orphan Drug Spending Rising Higher for Children Than Adults
4. Treats, Tips and Halloween
- CDC: Steps to Take When Trick or Treating
- CDC: Steps to Take for Other Halloween Activities
- History.com: How the Flu Pandemic Changed Halloween in 1918
- National Confectioners Association: What’s the Right Way to Eat Candy Corn?
Have a wonderful weekend!
Suzanne
Suzanne Daniels, Ph.D.
AEPC President
P.O. Box 1416
Birmingham, MI 48012
Office: (248) 792-2187
Email: [email protected]
