KPWHRI in the Media

2020

MARCH 1–31

Kaiser Permanente launches first coronavirus vaccine trial

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Lisa A. Jackson, MD, MPH, is leading the first-ever clinical trial for a vaccine targeting the virus that causes COVID-19. Moderna, Inc., produced the vaccine in record time. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is sponsoring the trial, which is taking place at KPWHRI’s Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Unit. This groundbreaking research is being widely covered by media outlets around the world, including these:

• Science, Mar 31, 2020
  With record-setting speed, vaccinemakers take their first shots at the new coronavirus
   
• MIT Technology Review, Mar 31, 2020
  Why I am volunteering to get the coronavirus vaccine
   
• ABC News, Mar 31, 2020
  COVID-19 vaccine candidates: 6 front-runners
   
• CNN, Mar 31, 2020
  The timetable for a coronavirus vaccine is 18 months. Experts say that's risky
        
• Seattle Times, Mar 30, 2020
  Drugs touted by Trump, blood from recovered patients: Seattle scientists seek coronavirus cures
   
• Seattle PI, Mar 30, 2020
  Could an anti-malarial drug help prevent the spread of COVID-19?
   
• Forbes, Mar 30, 2020
  The U.S. just signed a $450 million coronavirus vaccine contract with Johnson & Johnson
   
• ABC News, Mar 28, 2020
  Louisiana researchers studying monkeys for a coronavirus vaccine face challenges as state cases spike
   
• SELF magazine, Mar 27, 2020
  How far are we from a coronavirus vaccine?
   
• CNBC, Mar 27, 2020
  WHO officials enroll first patients from Norway and Spain in ‘historic’ coronavirus drug trial
   
• U.S. News, Mar 25, 2020
  When will we have a coronavirus vaccine?
   
• Fox News, Mar 25, 2020
  Active-duty Army officer in Maryland pulled to develop coronavirus vaccine
   
• Kaiser Health News, Mar 24, 2020
  Vaccine may be available in limited supply to some health care workers as early as the fall
   
• Al Jazeera English, Mar 23, 2020
  Coronavirus: first person injected with trial vaccine
  
• Spokane Spokesman-Review, Mar 22, 2020
  ‘Our lives will be changing’: Prolonged disruption likely as coronavirus spreads in Eastern Washington
   
• NPR Weekend Edition, Mar 21, 2020
  'I wanted to do something,' says mother of 2 who is first to test coronavirus vaccine
   
• The Atlantic, Mar 21, 2020
  COVID-19 vaccines are coming, but they’re not what you think
   
• GeekWire, Mar 20, 2020
  Geek of the Week: Jen Haller got first coronavirus vaccine shot, and like all of us, misses normal life
   
• CNBC, Mar 20, 2020
  WHO officials say at least 20 coronavirus vaccines are in development in global race for cure
   
• Newsweek, Mar 20, 2020
  3 countries starting coronavirus vaccine trials in global race to stop COVID-19 before end of year
   
• Boston Globe, Mar 19, 2020
  Massachusetts life sciences industry in forefront of worldwide fight against coronavirus
   
• USA Today, Mar 19, 2020
  Sick parents with 102° fevers denied coronavirus test, as son begins vaccine trial
• NBC News, Mar 19, 2020
  Here are 3 drugs in development to fight coronavirus, 2 vaccines and one 'passive' vaccine
   
• Washington Post, Mar 19, 2020
  ‘Wolf Warrior’ strives to make China first with coronavirus vaccine
   
• Reuters, Mar 18, 2020
  False claim: Coronavirus vaccine approved in Israel, set for mass production and distribution
   
• KNKX-FM, Mar 18, 2020
  Seattle Children's says four patients have tested positive for COVID-19; all are home recovering
   
• New Republic, Mar 18, 2020
  Inoculating the coronavirus vaccine against the profit pandemic
   
• Yahoo! News, Mar 18, 2020
  Coronavirus vaccine could be on market by autumn, says EU chief
  
• CNN, Mar 18, 2020
  Coronavirus vaccination volunteer explains why she did it
   
• CNN, Mar 18, 2020
  Why these volunteers chose to participate in a coronavirus vaccine trial
   
• BBC, Mar 18, 2020
  Coronavirus vaccine: first volunteers receive trial dose in US
   
• Inside Edition, Mar 17, 2020
  Who are the first people to test out the experimental coronavirus vaccine?
   
• CBS News, Mar 17, 2020
  First patients injected with potential COVID-19 vaccine in clinical trial
   
• KING-TV, Mar 17, 2020
  Coronavirus vaccine trials begin
   
• USA Today, Mar 17, 2020
  Volunteers in Seattle get first doses of trial vaccine for COVID-19
   
• Fox News, Mar 17, 2020
  Dangers of releasing vaccines without adequate testing: Top docs explain
  
• Forbes, Mar 17, 2020
  First person injected with trial coronavirus vaccine in Seattle
   

National, Mar 16, 2020:

• Associated Press (widely syndicated), Mar 16, 2020
  Volunteers fight virus by testing new experimental vaccine
   
• New York Times, Mar 16, 2020
  Trial of coronavirus vaccine made by Moderna begins in Seattle
   
• Wall Street Journal, Mar 16, 2020
  Human testing begins earlier than expected for U.S. coronavirus vaccine
   
• CNBC, Mar 16, 2020
  First human trial for coronavirus vaccine begins Monday in the US
   
• GeekWire, Mar 16, 2020
  Seattle techies get the first shots in Kaiser Permanente’s coronavirus vaccine trial
   
• MSNBC, Mar 16, 2020
  First person to test coronavirus vaccine speaks out
   
• UPI, Mar 16, 2020
  COVID-19 vaccine trial starts in Seattle
   
• U.S. News & World Report, Mar 16, 2020
  Report: Potential Coronavirus Vaccine Trial Begins Monday in the U.S.
   
• The Hill, Mar 16, 2020
  Researchers launch first coronavirus vaccine trial
   
• Reuters (syndicated), Mar 16, 2020
  Moderna doses first patient with coronavirus vaccine in early-stage trial
   
• Bloomberg, Mar 16, 2020
  Virus vaccine trial, faster testing are bright spots in outbreak
   
• Fox News, Mar 16, 2020
  First person dosed in US study for potential coronavirus vaccine, officials say
   
• HealthDay (syndicated), Mar 16, 2020
  First volunteers to receive coronavirus vaccine in early trial
   
• Boston Globe, Mar 16, 2020
  First patients dosed with potential coronavirus vaccine from Cambridge biotech
   
• New York Post, Mar 16, 2020
  First coronavirus vaccine trial begins as Seattle volunteer receives shot
   

Local, Mar 16, 2020:

• Seattle Times, Mar 16, 2020From WSU Cougar mascot to coronavirus vaccine volunteer, Seattle man ‘just wanted to help’
   
• Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Mar 16, 2020
  'Butch the Cougar' is early test subject for COVID-19 vaccine
   
• My Northwest (KIRO TV), Mar 16, 2020
  Coronavirus vaccine trial kicks off in downtown Seattle
   
• Bellingham Herald, Mar 16, 2020
  Coronavirus update: Clinical trial for vaccine starts in Seattle
   

International, Mar 16, 2020:

• The Guardian, Mar 16, 2020
  First participant in US coronavirus vaccine trial to be given dose
   
• Associated Press, Mar 15, 2020
  Government official: Coronavirus vaccine trial starts Monday
   
• CNBC, Mar 12, 2020
  Human trials for a coronavirus vaccine could begin ‘within a few weeks,’ top US health official says
   
• Fox News, Mar 12, 2020
  Coronavirus vaccine development: Where does it stand?
   
• Kaiser Health News, Mar 12, 2020
  Researchers break from normal protocol in rush to create vaccine as pandemic deaths mount ever higher
   
• STAT, Mar 11, 2020
  Researchers rush to test coronavirus vaccine in people without knowing how well it works in animals
   
• Reuters (widely syndicated, including in New York Times), Mar 11, 2020
  As pressure for coronavirus vaccine mounts, scientists debate risks of accelerated testing
   
• Time, Mar 10, 2020
  https://time.com/5799718/coronavirus-vaccine-antiviral-studies/
   
• Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Mar 10, 2020
  COVID-19 vaccine trials to begin soon, volunteers being recruited in Seattle
   
• NPR, Mar 7, 2020
  As the world struggles to contain coronavirus, scientists race to develop vaccine
   
• Associated Press, Mar 8, 2020
  Behind the scenes, scientists prep for COVID-19 vaccine test
   
• Seattle Times, Mar 6, 2020
  Clinical trials for a new coronavirus vaccine approved at a Seattle research institute
   
• KING 5, Mar 6, 2020
  2 Microsoft employees test positive for coronavirus
   
• Puget Sound Business Journal, Mar 5, 2020
  COVID-19 vaccine trial will begin at Kaiser Permanente in Seattle
   
• Politico, Mar 5, 2020
  Trump gets a fact check on coronavirus vaccines — from his own officials
   
• KOMO-TV, Mar 5, 2020
  Kaiser Permanente recruits volunteers for 1st coronavirus vaccine trials
   
• STAT, Mar 5, 2020
  Coronavirus vaccine testing starts in Seattle area
   
• Wall Street Journal, Mar 4, 2020
  Recruitment begins for first test of experimental coronavirus vaccine
   
• KUOW, Mar 4, 2020
  Seattle gets first go at coronavirus vaccine testing

Addictions

Joseph E. Glass, PhD, MSW, and Katharine Bradley, MD, MPH, are among 3 coauthors of a blog on contingency management, a behavioral treatment based on operant conditioning principles. Most often, it means providing something of monetary value to patients to incent them to not use drugs:

• Health Affairs blog, Mar 11, 2020
  Contingency management: A highly effective treatment for substance use disorders and the legal barriers that stand in its way

Best weight-loss surgery for diabetes and severe obesity?

Watch KPWHRI video.

In this new PCORI video, David Arterburn, MD, MPH, shares the main findings of the PCORnet^® Bariatric Study, which compared risks and benefits of the most common types of bariatric surgery to help patients with obesity make informed choices with their physicians:

• PCORI, Mar 4, 2020
  Helping patients choose between weight loss surgery options

february 1–29

Vaccine against new coronavirus

Read the NIH trial description and the KPWHRI enrollment web page.

The first clinical trial for a vaccine targeting SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, will be sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The trial will take place at KPWHRI’s Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Unit, led by Lisa A. Jackson, MD, MPH:

• Seattle Times, Feb 26, 2020
  Clinical trials for novel coronavirus vaccine will take place at Seattle research institute
• Spokane Spokesman-Review, Feb 28, 2020
  COVID-19 Q&A: What we know, don’t know, and how to prepare
• KGMI Radio (Bellingham), Feb 28, 2020
  Kaiser Permanente Washington selected for clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccination
• KOMO (and KIMA), Feb 27, 2020
  Seattle research center chosen to conduct nation's first coronavirus vaccine tests
• KING 5, Feb 27, 2020
  Seattle research institute preparing for clinical trials of coronavirus vaccine
• CBS News, Feb 25, 2020
  Drugmaker Moderna's coronavirus vaccine ready for human testing

More operations follow gastric bypass than gastric sleeve

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David Arterburn, MD, MPH, was interviewed about the rise in second operations after weight-loss surgery:

• AP (syndicated in Seattle Times, New York Times, US News, etc.) Feb 28, 2020
  After obesity surgery, more patients returning for another

How effective is acupuncture for chronic back pain?

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Karen Sherman, PhD, was interviewed about Medicare soon offering coverage for acupuncture treatments for lower back pain:

• AARP, Feb 6, 2020 
  Acupuncture for lower-back pain: Really?

6 Building Blocks helps rural clinics to manage opioids

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The AHRQ posted a step-by-step guide to support clinics as they implement effective, guideline-driven care for their patients with chronic pain who are using opioid therapy. Michael Parchman, MD, MPH, led the team that developed Six Building Blocks: A team-based approach to improving opioid management in primary care:

• AHRQ Views blog, Feb 6, 2020
  New AHRQ how-to guide helps primary care practices manage patients taking opioids ​​​​​

January 1–31

Your brain is a reservoir: Replenish it with these 10 healthy habits

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Commenting on a study linking sleep problems to cognitive decline and dementia, Eric B. Larson, MD, MPH, cautioned against overreacting with anxiety, because just because a person struggles with sleep, it doesn’t mean they’re destined to have cognitive problems:

• Reuters, Jan 17, 2020
  Sleep problems in older adults linked to cognitive decline and dementia

5 ways to prevent or delay dementia

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“Super-agers”—people who age in an unusually healthy way—tend to proactively build a lot of positive, healthy, social activity into their daily lives, according to Eric B. Larson, MD, MPH:

• 3^rd Act, Winter 2020
  The power of connection

Accountable Communities of Health have made strides

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KPWHRI’s Center for Community Health and Evaluation found that Washington state’s Accountable Communities of Health (ACH) have evolved into robust, regional organizations that are integral to advancing the state’s health system transformation efforts:

• NASHP (National Academy for State Health Policy) News, Jan 21, 2020 
  Lessons from Washington’s Accountable Communities of Health

Integrative non-drug therapies treat back pain at reasonable cost

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Dan Cherkin, PhD, is interviewed about the issues surrounding back pain, including its causes, treatments and costs:

• The Economist, Jan 17, 2020
  The burden of back pain: Back pain is a massive problem which is badly treated

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Media contact

For more on Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute news, please contact:

Rebecca Hughes
Rebecca.F.Hughes@kp.org

206-287-2055
After-hours media line: 206-448-4056

@KPWaResearch

About Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute

Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI) improves the health and health care of Kaiser Permanente members and the public. The Institute has conducted nonproprietary public-interest research on preventing, diagnosing, and treating major health problems since 1983. Government and private research grants provide our main funding. Follow KPWHRI research on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube. For more information, go to: www.kpwashingtonresearch.org.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 12.2 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: kp.org/share.