Good afternoon, readers.
Wearing masks has become a political flashpoint during the coronavirus pandemic. It’s mystified and dismayed public health experts I’ve spoken with, especially as cases continue to surge across the country, but that’s where we are.
A new NBC/SurveyMonkey poll shows that Republicans and Democrats are heavily divided on mandatory mask requirements by local governments or even private facilities. And that’s despite the fact that more than 40% of some 45,000 people surveyed in the poll are “very worried” the coronavirus will have a negative impact on their household finances and 37% are very worried that someone in their own family will be exposed to the coronavirus.
“97 percent of Democrats and those who lean Democratic say they wear masks at least most of the time when they leave their homes and might be in contact with others,” according to NBC. That number falls to 70 percent of Republicans or those who say they lean Republican in the poll.
It’s encouraging that a large majority of both parties are still being cautious about wearing masks, which public health officials and medical experts have stressed time and time again is one of the most effective ways of containing this virus’ spread. But that’s still a major gap that, unfortunately, appears to stem from mixed messaging and partisan politics.
I spoke with one leading expert from the Cleveland Clinic just this morning about how a refusal to wear masks is only exacerbating other problems down the COVID-19 supply chain. A pandemic is an especially unfortunate time for grandstanding and politicking.
Read on for the day’s news.
Sy Mukherjee
sayak.mukherjee@fortune.com
@the_sy_guy
DIGITAL HEALTH
Mayo Clinic expands its telehealth footprint. The Mayo Clinic has touted digital health and telemedicine. And its interest in the space just keeps growing. As many other big-name providers have turned to virtual medicine during the COVID pandemic, the Mayo Clinic is now attempting to connect urban and rural patients with its expansive health system. That includes people who may not be able to get access to specialists at the current moment. (Healthcare IT News)
INDICATIONS
California's "pay for delay" law remains in place (for now). A California law prohibiting so-called "pay for delay" arrangements between brand name and generic drug makers continues to stand following a federal appellate court ruling. The generic drug industry has claimed that the law is unconstitutional and harms generic drug makers; the court disagreed. Under pay-for-delay, brand name pharmaceuticals can can pay generic rivals to keep their cheaper alternatives off the market. (Reuters)
THE BIG PICTURE
Top pharma execs spurn White House visit. Following a slew of executive orders on drug prices issued by President Donald Trump last week, Big Pharma CEOs declined to attend a planned meeting at the White House on Tuesday, Politico reports. The biopharma industry's biggest lobbying groups, PhRMA and BIO, painted the discussions as a distraction while slamming the recent executive order as harmful to drug makers. (Politico)
REQUIRED READING
Herd immunity works—if you don't care how many people die, by Laurie Garrett and John Moore
SAP says goodbye to Qualtrics, by Michal Lev-Ram
How to celebrate milestones while social distancing, by Brooke Henderson
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