Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Call Centers Flooded With More Reports Of Poisonings From Exposures To Disinfectants
The New York Times: As Coronavirus Spreads, Poison Hotlines See Rise In Accidents With Cleaning Products
As awareness of the coronavirus pandemic has spread throughout the United States, doctors who monitor activity at poison call centers have noticed an alarming trend: a significant increase in accidental exposures to household cleaners and disinfectants. A study released Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that calls to poison hotlines this year for cases involving cleaners and disinfectants rose significantly compared with the same period over the previous two years, and charts a dramatic spike in March for both categories. (Waldstein, 4/21)
The Wall Street Journal: For People With Autism, Lockdowns Shatter Routine, Heighten Anxiety
When Amy Belles first heard the coronavirus lockdown would close her son’s school in Ohio, it felt like the moment 14 years ago when he was first diagnosed with autism. “The wave just hit me, a feeling of uncertainty, anxiety, and that you’re dropped into this new world, and you have to figure it out and adapt,” she says. For people with autism, lockdowns have shattered the routines they rely on, deprived them of specialist education and therapy, and heightened already high levels of anxiety. (MacDonald, 4/21)
The Washington Post: ‘The Numbers Are Low Until It’s Your Child’: The Coronavirus Can Be Deadly For Children, Too.
Skylar Herbert loved dressing up and performing. She adored going to kindergarten. She started reading at age 4. She liked "girly things" and bling. “She could take over a room,” her grandmother Leona Pannell Herbert said. About a month ago, Skylar started to complain of headaches. Within days, she was hospitalized in the Detroit suburbs, where she was diagnosed with covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, and then with a rare form of meningitis. (Janes and Elmer, 4/21)
CIDRAP: 'Unlike Any Challenge': Helping Families Cope Amid Pandemic
Strategies are needed to manage the unintended consequences for at-risk children of COVID-19–related school closings, social distancing, overwhelming numbers of distressing public health messages, and cancelation of non-urgent healthcare visits, according to a commentary in Pediatrics. Similarly, a second commentary in the same journal outlines recommendations for pediatricians to guide assessment and mitigation of the family violence likely to endanger many children during a prolonged quarantine. (Van Beusekom, 4/21)
The Associated Press: As People Stay Home, Earth Turns Wilder And Cleaner
An unplanned grand experiment is changing Earth. As people across the globe stay home to stop the spread of the new coronavirus, the air has cleaned up, albeit temporarily. Smog stopped choking New Delhi, one of the most polluted cities in the world, and India’s getting views of sights not visible in decades. (Borenstein, 4/22)
CNN: Los Angeles County Hospitals Say People Are Waiting Too Long To Seek Treatment Over Coronavirus Fears
Doctors at some Los Angeles County hospitals say people are waiting too long to seek medical treatment -- including those infected with the coronavirus -- over fears of catching Covid-19, potentially leading to more detrimental effects to their health. Los Angeles County reported 1,491 new coronavirus cases on Monday, bringing the total to 13,816, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said. (Elam and Holombe, 4/21)
The Wall Street Journal: In Coronavirus Lockdown, People Are Finally Eager To Visit The Dentist
Dr. Phil Cai is experiencing something no dentist ever expects: Patients, starved for human connections, are actually happy to arrive at his office. “It is kind of funny, people are actually eager to see the dentist,” he said. “Not for dental work but for social interaction.” Dr. Cai sees far fewer visitors at his McLean, Va., office, as stay-at-home orders restrict dental visits to emergencies. (Stoll, 4/22)
Los Angeles Times: Bats Linked To Coronavirus, But Can Bats Get It From Humans?
As forensic virologists search to uncover the origins of COVID-19, bats have been fingered as a likely source. Genetic analyses show the virus is very similar to one harbored by Chinese horseshoe bats, and researchers think it’s possible it jumped from those winged mammals to people. But some bat lovers and chiropterologists — scientists who study the flying mammals — are adamant there is no proof. Instead, they’re wringing their hands about the reverse: That people with COVID-19 could spread the disease to their furry, nocturnal housemates. They are particularly worried about already vulnerable North American bat populations, which are being wiped out by white-nose syndrome, a disease caused by a deadly fungus. (4/21)
