Blood Supply Nears Critical Level As Elective Surgeries Resume But Donation Rates Are Too Low
Chris Hrouda, president of biomedical services for the American Red Cross, says inventories have been cut in half as people maintain social distancing. Public health news is also on vaping, hand sanitizers, disinfecting programs in hotels, scripts on the pandemic, infection control fees and first canine tests positive.
The New York Times:
Red Cross Warns Of A ‘Staggering’ Drop In Blood Supplies
As protests and violence erupt in cities, the United States faces a new threat: The country is running out of blood. Several months of social distancing and stay-at-home orders have resulted in fewer people donating blood, according to health care workers, with collection drives at offices, schools and churches canceled en masse. For a while, the drop in donations was not critical because supply and demand fell in tandem as most surgeries were canceled and far fewer people were getting injured in car crashes and other accidents. (Flavelle, 6/2)
The New York Times:
Lawmakers Say Puff Bar Used Pandemic To Market To Teens
House lawmakers asked the Food and Drug Administration this week to ban Puff Bar, the fast-growing e-cigarette that has quickly replaced Juul as the vape of choice among young people. The disposable devices come in more than 20 flavors, among them piña colada, pink lemonade, watermelon and a mysterious blend called O.M.G. Although the Trump administration banned fruit, mint and dessert flavors in refillable cartridge-based e-cigarettes like Juul earlier this year, it carved out an exemption for brands that are used once and thrown away. (Kaplan, 6/2)
Reuters:
U.S. Temporarily To Allow Certain Impurities In Hand Sanitizer
The Trump administration said this week it will temporarily allow some impurities in alcohol-based hand sanitizer to ensure access to the product during the coronavirus pandemic, reversing course after having tightened restrictions in April. The move will provide clarity on impurity limits for a slew of fuel ethanol companies that had switched to producing hand sanitizer during the outbreak, after regulators discovered some of the impurities, including cancer-causing acetaldehyde, several weeks ago. (Kelly, 6/2)
The New York Times:
The Most Important Word In The Hospitality Industry? ‘Clean’
In February, news from the Wynn Las Vegas included plans for Valentine’s Day (among the offerings: a “Lover’s Menu for Two”) and National Margarita Day (four new cocktails). What a difference a pandemic makes. Three months later, the casino resort announced a much more sober initiative, the “Wynn Las Vegas Health & Disinfection Program.” The 28-page memo lays out how the 2,700-room property will address health and hygiene when it reopens. Out with mezcal and barhopping; in with thermal cameras, elevator capacity limits and disinfection protocols for the Chipper Champ, a chip-sorting machine. (Firshein, 6/3)
The Wall Street Journal:
From Disney To Michael Bay: Coronavirus TV And Movies Are Coming
Love, death and the coronavirus underpin “Songbird,” a thriller set in 2022 Los Angeles as a deadlier Covid-19 ravages the city. Action-movie veteran Michael Bay and former Paramount Pictures Film Group president Adam Goodman hope to sell world-wide rights to the forthcoming film at the virtual Cannes Film Festival later this month. They aim to release it later this year to an audience they believe will be ready for virus-themed entertainment. (Gamerman, 6/2)
Kaiser Health News:
Open (Your Wallet) Wide: Dentists Charge Extra For Infection Control
After nearly two months at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Erica Schoenradt was making plans in May to see her dentist for a checkup. Then she received a notice from Swish Dental that the cost of her next visit would include a new $20 “infection control fee” that would likely not be covered by her insurer. “I was surprised and then annoyed,” said Schoenradt, 28, of Austin, Texas. She thought it made no sense for her dentist to charge her for keeping the office clean since the practice should be doing that anyway. She canceled the appointment for now. (Galewitz, 6/3)
The Hill:
USDA Announces First Case Of Dog Testing Positive For Coronavirus In US
The Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories announced Tuesday that it found the first confirmed case of a dog contracting the coronavirus in the U.S. The USDA said in a statement that it first took samples from the dog, a German shepherd in New York, after it showed “signs of respiratory illness” and that it is expected to make a full recovery. One of the dog’s owners tested positive for the coronavirus and another dog in the household tested positive for coronavirus antibodies, suggesting exposure, the agency said. (Axelrod, 6/2)
