Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Bird Feeders Linked To Salmonella Outbreak
The New York Times: Salmonella Outbreak Is Linked To Wild Birds And Feeders, C.D.C. Says
A salmonella outbreak linked to contact with wild songbirds and bird feeders has sickened 19 people across eight states, eight of whom have been hospitalized, federal health authorities said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it was investigating salmonella infections in California, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington State in people ranging in age from 2 months to 89 years old. (Jimenez, 4/4)
Fox News: Coronavirus Masks Containing Graphene Should Not Be Sold, Canadian Health Authorities Say
Canadian health officials have issued a warning about face masks that contain graphene or biographene, urging a recall by distributors, according to reports. Health Canada said graphene is a novel nanomaterial that is reported to have antiviral and antibacterial properties. However, the advisory issued Friday warns that there is "potential that wearers could inhale graphene particles from some masks," Global News reported. (Aitken, 4/4)
ABC News: Texas Rangers To Reopen Stadium At Full Capacity Despite COVID-19 Case Numbers
The Texas Rangers are scheduled to make a bold move for their home opener Monday that has some medical experts and President Joe Biden concerned. Globe Life Field in Arlington will be the first Major League Baseball stadium to reopen at full capacity -- roughly 40,000 seats -- since the pandemic began. The move comes a month after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ended the state's mask mandate and asked businesses to reopen fully, citing declining COVID-19 cases and vaccination numbers. (Pereira, 4/4)
In pediatric news —
Stat: Kids In The ER Are Waiting Longer For Mental Health Care
Children taken to the emergency room for mental health concerns are more likely to be stuck there for extended stays than they were a decade ago, according to new research. Hispanic children are almost three times more likely than white children to experience these delays in care. “Every minute, every hour, every day a kid with mental health care [needs] spends in the ED is a delay in the care that they actually need,” said Katherine Nash, author of the study, published Monday in Pediatrics. (Gaffney, 4/5)
San Francisco Chronicle: As S.F. Students Grapple With Pandemic's Emotional Toll, Mobile Mental Health Team Rushes In
After a year of school closures and isolation, many Bay Area students are suffering. Parents and teachers have reported failing grades and rising depression. Suicide attempts in adolescents are skyrocketing. To meet the emerging crisis, San Francisco is expanding a mobile response team that provides mental health and wellness services to children, including the school district’s students. (Talley, 4/4)
ABC News: If We Want More Resilient Adults, We Need To Teach Resilience To All Kids
For years, science has looked at what makes someone resilient and able to positively adapt in the face of adversity. While early studies suggested that resilience depends on inherent traits that we have as individuals, newer studies suggest that resilience is a dynamic process that in large part can be taught, practiced and strengthened -- kind of like building an internal toolbox to help you manage external stress. And the sooner it's taught, the better. (Chaudhary, 4/5)
KHN: Families With Sick Kids On Medicaid Seek Easier Access To Out-Of-State Hospitals
Three-year-old Elizabeth Zakutansky was born with a rare genetic condition that causes multiple seizures. Her neurologist, a top expert on treating her condition, practices at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, less than an hour’s drive from the Zakutanskys’ home in Hobart, Indiana. Her parents would like her to get all her care there. But Lurie wouldn’t continue to treat Elizabeth, because her insurer, Indiana Medicaid, pays out-of-state providers much less than in-state facilities. That’s true for most state Medicaid programs. So the Zakutanskys pay the Lurie neurologist out-of-pocket for consultations, and the doctor gives detailed instructions for Elizabeth’s care to their local pediatrician. (Meyer, 4/5)
The Washington Post: Schools Plan Full-Time Classes For Fall
Parents, students and teachers, exhausted by the false starts, union battles, quarantines and remote learning that have upended this school year, are looking around the bend with an urgent, fretful question: Come fall, will school at last be back to normal? The likely answer: Sort of, but not really. And not for everybody. (Meckler and St. George, 4/3)
Axios: Pandemic Fuels Staggering Teacher Shortages Across The U.S.
The pandemic has pushed teachers out of the workforce in droves, and many schools don't have a strong safety net to fill the gaps as children come back into classrooms. Teaching has been one of the toughest pandemic-era jobs, with pivots to remote learning and then risk of infection with school reopenings. (Pandey, 4/5)
