Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
California Wildfire Smoke Closes Reno Schools, Prompts Las Vegas Air Alert
AP: California Wildfire Smoke Closes Reno Schools, Tahoe Parks
Dense smoke from massive wildfires burning in neighboring California created hazardous air quality in the Reno-Tahoe area on Monday, canceling flights and forcing the closure of schools, parks and popular summer beaches. Government air monitors were recording some of the region’s most hazardous conditions in years. Weather forecasters and health officials said little relief is expected in western Nevada through mid-week. (Sonner and Metz, 8/24)
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Smoke Advisory Issued For Las Vegas Region On Tuesday
Smoke from California wildfires is expected to drift into town this week, blanketing the Las Vegas skies. “The worst of it by far will be on Tuesday,” National Weather Service meteorologist Clay Morgan said. Ahead of its arrival, the Clark County Department of Environment and Sustainability late Monday issued a smoke advisory for the Las Vegas region on Tuesday. The expected smoke “may lead to elevated concentrations of particulate matter in the air,” the department said in a news release. Officials recommend that residents limit outdoor exertion and keep windows shut and doors closed. (Clemons, 8/23)
Stateline: Scorching Heat Is Killing Workers. Some States Are Stepping In
Federal safety regulators have issued no standards to protect workers from heat-related hazards, even as climate change increases the risk of deadly heat waves and extreme weather conditions. But some states have begun acting on their own, requiring employers to provide shade, cooldown breaks and drinking water, among other measures. Washington state and Oregon issued emergency standards last month after a heat wave broke temperature records across the Northwest and caused hundreds of deaths. Maryland regulators will issue heat rules by next year, after lawmakers passed a bill requiring them to do so. And Virginia officials announced earlier this year that they have begun the rulemaking process for a heat standard. (Brown, 8/23)
In other public health news —
North Carolina Health News: N.C. Expected To Remove Lead, Asbestos From Public Schools And Child Care Centers
For years, bills have been introduced in the North Carolina General Assembly calling for the removal of lead from drinking water at public schools and licensed child care centers. Each time, the bills failed to gain traction, largely because of money. Lawmakers worried about the costs of abatement and school districts feared the costs would fall on them. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 appears to have resolved that roadblock. (Barnes, 8/24)
AP: US Boarding School Review Prompts Calls For Trauma Support
Some members of Congress want to ensure that protections are put in place to address ongoing trauma as more information comes to light about the troubled history of Indigenous boarding schools in the United States. A group of 21 Democratic lawmakers representing states stretching from the Southwest to the East Coast sent a letter last week to the Indian Health Service. They are asking that the federal agency make available culturally appropriate support services such as a hotline and other mental and spiritual programs as the federal government embarks on its investigation into the schools. (Bryan, 8/23)
Modern Healthcare: Number Of Homebound Adults More Than Doubles During Pandemic
The number of homebound individuals in the U.S. more than doubled during the past decade, according to a paper published in JAMA Internal Medicine Monday. The share of the population that rarely or never leaves their homes rose held steady at about 5% from 2011 to 2019 but leaped to 13% last year, likely driven by isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mount Sinai researchers found. The greatest increases were among Blacks and Hispanics, who also experienced poorer health and less digital access, the study shows. (Christ, 8/23)
New Orleans Times-Picayune: Harmful Algae Covers Much Of Lake Pontchartrain This Summer, But No Health Threat Yet
Blooms of potentially harmful algae have swirled in lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas during most of the summer of 2021, spurred by increased inflow of phosphorus and other nutrients caused by this year’s heavy rainfall, according to scientists monitoring the blooms. The concentration of cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, this year has not resulted in health warnings from the Louisiana Departments of Environmental Quality or Health, and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has not issued any reports of effects on fisheries. (Schleifstein, 8/24)
Also —
AP: Tallest Man In U.S., Who Was 7-Foot-8, Dies Of Heart Disease At 38
Igor Vovkovinskiy, the tallest man in the United States, has died in Minnesota. He was 38. His family said he died of heart disease on Friday at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. His mother, Svetlana Vovkovinska, an ICU nurse at Mayo, initially posted about his death on Facebook. The Ukrainian-born Vovkovinskiy came to the Mayo Clinic in 1989 as a child seeking treatment. A tumor pressing against his pituitary gland caused it to secrete abnormal levels of growth hormone. He grew to become the tallest man in the U.S. at 7 feet, 8.33 inches and ended up staying in Rochester. (8/23)
