I have an interview in Democracy Journal today about the US public health response to COVID-19, the Medicare for All movement, the need to bring back “health planning,” the health consequences of law enforcement agencies response to BLM protests, and more.

We had a correspondence piece in The Lancet citing tactics used by US law enforcement agencies as a public health threat on Friday. In brief:

-Rubber bullets and related projectiles (bean bag rounds, foam batons, sponge rounds) can maim and kill. We highlight 12 severe injuries, as reported in the media, from these projectiles in the last few days of May. We call for a ban on these projectiles.

-We note dangers of chemical irritant use (tear gas, pepper spray), which cause coughing and sneezing and mask removal and may exacerbate viral spread. We join the American Thoracic Society in calling for a moratorium on tear gas.

-Jails are coronavirus incubators. Mass arrests will worsen the COVID-19 pandemic and must be avoided.

-We call for a reallocation of some of the >$100 billion spent annually on policing on educational, social, and health programs.

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We had a study published last week in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, which found that some 18 million people who are at increased risk of severe COVID-19, whether because of age or chronic illness, are uninsured or underinsured. Not surprisingly, these individuals are disproportionately people of color and those with low incomes. It was covered in Newsweek, Modern Healthcare, Marketwatch, and some other outlets.

Along with David Himmelstein and Steffie Woolhandler, I have a new paper out today in the International Journal of Health Services exploring issues of health coverage, access, and financing related to the COVID-19 pandemic. It outlines the legislation and proposals meant to address these issues — what each would accomplish, and how they might fall short.

It’s available here at the PNHP website.