Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Cars That Women Choose To Drive May Be To Blame For Injuries, Study Finds
AP: Study: Smaller Cars May Be Why Crashes Injure Women More
The smaller, lighter vehicles that women more often drive, and the types of crashes they get into, may explain why they are much more likely to suffer a serious injury in a collision than men, a new study published Thursday found. Researchers from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a research group supported by auto insurers, looked into whether there was some sort of gender bias in the research into vehicle crashes or whether body type had anything to do with the injuries. (Sweet, 2/11)
GMA: 1 In 10 US College Students Experience Period Poverty, Report Says
Period poverty, or a lack of access to menstrual products and education, affects one in 10 college students in the United States, according to a new study. These women are also more likely to report depression than their peers, according to the study published in BMC Women's Health, a medical journal. (Kindelan, 2/11)
The Hill: Portman, Whitehouse Say COVID-19 Is Complicating Opioid Addiction Fight
Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said Thursday that the COVID-19 pandemic has further complicated efforts to win the fight against opioid and drug addiction. Speaking at The Hill's "COVID-19 & the Opioid Epidemic" event, Portman said the U.S. had the lowest overdose rate in decades as recently as 2018, but last year saw the worst overdose rate in U.S. history. (Gans, 2/11)
In other public health news —
CIDRAP: Pre-, Asymptomatic COVID Cases Lead To Half Of Transmissions, Study Finds
Presymptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases contributed at least 50% of transmissions during New York City's first COVID surge, according to a study published yesterday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. ... The researchers also found that when the city implemented its lockdown, COVID transmission rate dropped 76.0% to 87.6%. (2/11)
NBC News: National Cheerleading Competition Could Become Super-Spreader Event, Health Officials Warn
Tens of thousands of people are expected to travel to Atlanta this weekend for the annual Cheersports Nationals cheerleading competition, raising concern among public health officials that the contest could become a coronavirus super-spreader event. “The fear is that these people will gather and then take the variant home with them to their communities and plant the seed," Dr. Amber Schmidtke, a public health microbiologist, told NBC affiliate 11Alive. (Lozano, 2/11)
USA Today: COVID Testing Before Flights Would Reduce Risk, Harvard Study Finds
Harvard University researchers studying ways to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission during air travel endorsed the idea of rapid testing of passengers in a report released Thursday. "Viral testing is an important public health screening mechanism that can quickly and efficiently identify those with infections and stop them from undergoing activities that could expose others, including potential travel,'' Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said in a summary of the 262-page report. Requiring testing for all travelers would not guarantee a plane full of virus-free passengers but may serve a "critical need'' in identifying asymptomatic passengers and keeping them off planes, reducing the risk of transmission. (Gilbertson, 2/11)
KHN: Lack Of Covid Data On People With Intellectual Disabilities ‘Comes With A Body Count’
Peter Prater’s family wasn’t thinking about covid-19 when the call came that he had been taken to the hospital with a fever. It was April, and the Tallahassee Developmental Center, where Prater lives, hadn’t yet had any covid diagnoses. Prater, 55, who has Down syndrome and diabetes, became the Florida center’s first known case, his family said. Within two weeks, more than half of the roughly 60 residents and a third of the staff had tested positive for the virus, according to local news reports. (Houghton, 2/12)
The Washington Post: How To Relieve Double Mask Ear Pain
Although experts have encouraged upgrading masks, doubling up is not the only way to improve fit and protection. Paul Sax, clinical director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, emphasized that people should first focus on mask quality rather than how many they’re wearing. “There are a lot of people who are wearing a mask, but it’s a thin cloth mask or something that’s chosen for style and appearance rather than for the filtering capabilities,” Sax said. “I think Step One would be to make sure that everyone has a high-quality mask.” (Chiu, 2/10)
KHN: Journalists Broach Topics From Vaccines And Super Bowl To True Love
KHN senior correspondent Julie Appleby discussed Hillsdale Hospital and the complications of covid-19 vaccine distribution with Michigan Radio’s “Stateside” on Feb. 4. ... KHN senior correspondent Phil Galewitz discussed covid preparations for Super Bowl LV in Tampa, Florida, with Newsy on Feb. 5. ... KHN Midwest correspondent Cara Anthony shared the story of Arthur and Maggie Kelley of St. Louis who died 30 days apart with KMOX NewsRadio 1120 on Feb. 10. (2/12)
