Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A Pandemic Trend? Drinking More, But Cooking Healthier Meals At Home
NPR: Americans Over 30 Are Drinking 14% More Often During Pandemic, Study Finds
Perhaps it's no surprise, but people are drinking more during the pandemic. In some cases, by a lot. American adults say they're drinking 14% more often during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report in the journal JAMA Network Open. The increase in frequency of drinking for women was more pronounced, up 17% compared to last year. Instances of heavy drinking among women, which for women was defined as four or more drinks within a couple of hours, spiked by 41%. (Oxner, 10/5)
The Wall Street Journal: People Are Eating Healthier And Cooking More, Food Execs Say
Food company executives say they are expecting new consumer habits formed during the pandemic to stick, with a renewed focus on health and cooking at home. Mark Clouse, the chief executive of Campbell Soup Co. speaking at The Wall Street Journal’s Global Food Forum on Monday, said eating on the go, which had been popular before the pandemic, has declined dramatically. People turned to comfort food initially during the outbreak, Mr. Clouse said. “What we’re seeing now is a greater level of balance and a return to some of those health and wellness trends,” he added. (Wernau and Gasparro, 10/5)
The Washington Post: Airbnb Is Canceling One-Night Halloween Stays To Prevent Parties
Airbnb took a stance against large gatherings this summer by banning parties at its rental properties globally. Now the company is taking the move one step further in North America by implementing a ban on one-night bookings on Halloween that could foster large gatherings. The vacation rentals platform announced on Friday that it will not allow reservations on Oct. 30 or 31 for any of its “entire home” listings in the United States and Canada. Airbnb will cancel any existing one-night reservations that fall into that category, reimbursing both guests and property hosts. (McMahon, 10/5)
The Washington Post: LSU To Remove Wellness Checks For Fans At Football Games
The novel coronavirus pandemic has dominated America’s news cycle for almost seven months. That cycle hit overdrive in the past four days with President Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis, hospitalization and the outbreak among his administration. That makes it even more puzzling that LSU announced Monday it would no longer require a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention medical wellness check for those attending Saturday’s game against Missouri. The school said its decision was made “to reduce lines and wait times at gate entry points,” but it encouraged fans “to conduct a self-assessment before heading to the game to check for covid-19 symptoms.” (Russell, 10/5)
Kaiser Health News: Easier-To-Use Coronavirus Saliva Tests Start To Catch On
As the coronavirus pandemic broke out across the country, health care providers and scientists relied on the standard method for detecting respiratory viruses: sticking a long swab deep into the nose to get a sample. The obstacles to implementing such testing on a mass scale quickly became clear. Among them: Many people were wary of the unpleasant procedure, called a nasopharyngeal swab. It can be performed only by trained health workers, putting them at risk of infection and adding costs. And the swabs and chemicals needed to test for the virus almost immediately were in short supply. (Tuller, 10/6)
Kaiser Health News: Campus Dorm Resident Assistants Adjust To A New Role: COVID Cop
Breaking up parties, confiscating booze and answering noise complaints — being a resident adviser has always required a willingness to be the “bad guy” and uphold university policy despite the protests of friends and peers. Now there’s a new element to the job description: COVID cop. (Almendrala and Heredia Rodriguez, 10/6)
