Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Refuses Cruise Industry Request To Set Sail Sooner Than November
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: CDC Rejects Cruise Industry Request To Return To Seas
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has rejected a request by the cruise industry to immediately lift a no-sail order that would have allowed ships to resume business in U.S. waters by July, months ahead of a previously announced November return date. The coronavirus pandemic continues to keep ships docked despite the fact that other companies around the world have resumed sailings with extensive health safety measures in place. (Lee, 3/24)
Dallas Morning News: Southwest Airlines Brings Back Its Pre-Pandemic Boarding Process
Masks are still required on all flights, but Southwest Airlines is restoring some normalcy to flying in the way it boards planes and what it serves in the air. Dallas-based Southwest has returned to its normal boarding procedure, bringing on passengers in groups of 30. During the pandemic, it loaded passengers 10 at a time to give more space for social distancing. (Arnold, 3/24)
In other public health news —
The Hill: Researchers Produce Nose-Only COVID-19 Masks To Wear While Eating Or Drinking
Researchers in Mexico have developed a nose-only COVID-19 mask designed for people to wear while eating and drinking. The mask is worn similarly to a typical mask with straps behind the ears but the fabric solely covers the nasal area instead of both the nose and mouth. The invention is featured in a Reuters video that was circulated on Wednesday. The video shows a man and a woman sitting down to eat at the same table and taking off their regular masks to reveal that they are also wearing the nose-only variations. The pair then eat and drink while wearing nose-only masks. (Coleman, 3/24)
The Hill: Dentists Report Increased Chipped, Cracked Teeth Amid Pandemic Stress
Stress-related dental issues including chipped and cracked teeth are on the rise amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey from the American Dental Association (ADA) found. In the study posted on the ADA's website this month, more than 7 in 10 dentists said they had seen an increased number of patients with tooth damage stemming from stress-related conditions. The study reviewed data from 2,299 physicians. (Bowden, 3/24)
The New York Times: Too Much High-Intensity Exercise May Be Bad For Your Health
If high-intensity exercise is good for us, is more necessarily better? Maybe not, according to an admonitory new study of the molecular effects of high-intensity interval training, also known as HIIT. In the study, people who began working out strenuously almost every day developed sudden and severe declines in the function of their mitochondria, which are the energy powerhouses inside of cells, along with incipient signs of blood sugar dysfunction. (Reynolds, 3/24)
CNN: This New Artificial Heart Responds To The Patient
Heart disease is the world's biggest killer, and around one in five people in developed countries will suffer heart failure in their lifetime.In the worst cases, the only treatment is a transplant. But with more hearts failing than being donated, patients can spend years on a waiting list. To help people awaiting a transplant, French company Carmat has developed a "total artificial heart" -- a device to replace the whole heart until a donor can be found. (Bailey, 3/25)
Stat: Universities Launch Opioid Litigation Archive To 'Ensure History Doesn't Repeat Itself'
After two decades in which opioid overdoses claimed more than 400,000 lives in the U.S., two universities have launched an online archive to store documents generated by the many lawsuits filed against drug companies for their role in creating the unprecedented societal crisis. The goal of the Opioid Industry Documents Archive is to provide transparency into the strategies that were pursued by companies to increase sales of the painkillers — which led to countless cases of opioid use disorder, overdoses, and deaths — in order to prevent a similar episode from occurring again. (Silverman, 3/24)
