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In early July, Julie Anderson got up at 3 a.m. to make the long drive from suburban Chicago to a central Illinois prison to see her son, who is serving a 60-year sentence. When she got there, she offered the guard at the front desk her vaccine card, assuming there was a need for proof of vaccination to enter the visiting room. The guard seemed  surprised, Anderson stated during an interview. As she recalled, it was as if the prison official was seeing a visitor vaccination card for the first time. (Amanda Klonsky and Erika Tyagi, 8/18)

As of Aug. 11, according to figures the league released through NFL.com, nearly 92% of all players have received at least one vaccine dose, and 15 teams have 95% or more of their players vaccinated. ... What happened? And what are the lessons for the rest of us? The short answer to the first question is that the league put its foot down, hard, on any resistance to getting vaccinated against COVID-19. The league made its views known in a July 22 memo delineating the consequences to any of the 32 teams that experienced a viral outbreak traceable to unvaccinated staff or players. (Michael Hiltzik, 8/17)

The Delta wave has intensified the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States just as children were preparing to return to school and adults were hoping for something like a return to their normal lives. Along with fears about rising hospitalizations and deaths, there are growing worries about another potential outcome of infection: long Covid for children and vaccinated adults who get mild breakthrough infections. Reports of long Covid are everywhere, and they are alarming. However, understanding what the evidence really shows about the relationship between the Covid virus, SARS-CoV-2, and this syndrome may alleviate some fears. (Adam Gaffney and Zackary Berger, 8/18)

As the Delta variant surges across almost all states in the U.S. causing local outbreaks, getting more people vaccinated against the virus that causes Covid-19 should be the country’s key goal. Even though 72% of Americans age 18 and older have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine — one of the highest vaccination rates in the world — it isn’t enough. (K.J. Seung and Natalie Dean, 8/19)

Over the last few weeks, we’ve heard reports from medical professionals across the country about the increasing numbers of patients severely affected by COVID-19, as well as dwindling resources to care for them. The Kansas City area is no exception, and the current surge of delta variant cases is beginning to impact our abilities to care for patients across all levels of the health care system. This is not a partisan issue. Unless we all act together to fight this pandemic, the darkest days still lie ahead. (Emily M. Williams, 8/19)

On the list of things that doctors shouldn’t need to be told, one would expect that promoting bogus COVID-19 remedies would rank pretty high. The top of the list, in fact. But no. The problem has become so acute that the Federation of State Medical Boards recently felt compelled to issue a stark warning to medical professionals: “Physicians who generate and spread COVID-19 vaccine misinformation or disinformation are risking disciplinary action by state medical boards, including the suspension or revocation of their medical license.” (Michael Hiltzik, 8/16)

Covid-19 taught me something about second chances: In March 2020, I fought the virus and won. Barely. But my gratitude for the chance to live, to continue to be a husband and father, and to work in the hospital again doesn’t translate into an optimistic perspective on the latest deadly phase of the pandemic. Collectively, we may be running out of second chances. (Matthew Harris, 8/18)