Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Country's Mental Health Worsens: Big Spike In Anxiety, Depression Reported Among Americans Since Outbreak
The Washington Post: A Third Of Americans Now Show Signs Of Clinical Anxiety Or Depression
A third of Americans are showing signs of clinical anxiety or depression, Census Bureau data shows, the most definitive and alarming sign yet of the psychological toll exacted by the coronavirus pandemic. When asked questions normally used to screen patients for mental health problems, 24 percent showed clinically significant symptoms of major depressive disorder and 30 percent showed symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. (Fowers and Wan, 5/26)
Stat: Covid-19 Isolates Patients From Loved Ones At Time Of Greatest Need
Amy and Landen [Sapien], two generations fighting cancer... are going through the most frightening and painful moments of their lives without the family warmth and support that was standard practice at the nation’s medical centers — until Covid-19. The pandemic’s broad impact on cancer care in the U.S. is well-known: non-essential surgeries, biopsies, and scans delayed, and clinical trials disrupted. But it’s in stories like the Sapien family’s that one sees the depth of the harm it’s causing. (Glaser, 5/27)
ABC News: The Dalai Lama's Simple Advice To Navigating COVID-19 Isolation
As millions of people around the world continue to live with quarantine lockdowns, stay-at-home orders and other similar restrictions during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Dalai Lama is no exception. His Holiness, who spoke with ABC News' Dan Harris for his podcast, "Ten Percent Happier," said he has spent the past few months insolation "in order to protect" himself... For those who are struggling with being in isolation or having a hard time managing the anxiety that goes along with adjusting to life around a global pandemic and restrictions, the Dalai Lama suggested doing meditation in the early mornings. (Effron, 5/27)
The New York Times: Could All Those ‘Quarantinis’ Lead To Drinking Problems?
Quarantinis. Zoom happy hours. Easy front-door liquor delivery. The boredom of staying home and the intense anxiety produced by the pandemic have given rise to Twitter jokes about drinking before noon as alcohol sales have spiked. But addiction experts say they are worried it could also trigger more serious drinking problems and even create new ones for people who have never struggled with alcohol dependency before. (Cramer, 5/26)
The New York Times: Thinking About Flying? Here’s What You Need To Know Now
On Friday, the Transportation Security Administration screened 348,673 people at American airports, the most since travel went into a free-fall in mid-March, likely driven by people traveling ahead of Memorial Day weekend. Still, a year ago, more than 2.7 million people were screened, showing just how far the industry has to come back. For people who are thinking of flying this summer, or in the months after, air travel will be a far different experience than it was before the coronavirus. (Mzezewa, 5/27)
NPR: As Lockdown Orders Lift, Can Cities Prevent A Traffic Catastrophe?
Over the last few months, cities have had to deal with tremendous challenges — fighting a pandemic, preserving essential services, protecting their own workers, coping with devastating budget cuts. One thing local officials didn't have to worry about was traffic, as the pandemic emptied city streets. But that's about to change. (Domonoske, 5/27)
The New York Times: When Couples Fight About Virus Risks
Lian Chikako Chang and her husband, Drew Harry, agree on the big picture when it comes to minimizing their 3-year-old’s risk of exposure to the coronavirus. They both work in the tech industry and neither is an essential worker, so they have been following California’s shelter-in-place rules and going outside only for curb-side pick up for groceries once a week or brief bouts of exercise. They take their son to local parks on weekdays, because it is less crowded than on weekends. “We mostly are aligned,” said Chikako Chang, 39, who has been quarantined in San Francisco. But she and her husband still fight about the little things. The couple had a disagreement recently about whether their preschooler should use a public restroom at the park. (Grose, 5/26)
The New York Times: 'Aggressive' Rats May Increase During Pandemic, C.D.C. Says
Humans are not the only ones who miss dining out. As restaurants and other businesses have closed during the coronavirus pandemic, rats may become more aggressive as they hunt for new sources of food, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned. Environmental health and rodent control programs may see an increase in service requests related to “unusual or aggressive” rodent behavior, the agency said on its website on Thursday. (Padilla, 5/24)
Boston Globe: As Companies Reopen, Technology Will Stand Guard Against COVID-19
As the COVID-19 lockdown wanes, and companies throughout the United States reopen for business, workers can expect to be watched more closely than ever before — and not by their human bosses. From smartphone apps that administer health checks before workers even leave the house to cameras and Bluetooth radio beacons that track people’s movements throughout the workday, companies are deploying monitoring technologies that could slow the further spread of the coronavirus. (Bray, 5/26)
KQED: 'It Was Hell': When Both Parents Get COVID-19
In early April, as coronavirus outbreaks spread rapidly across the San Francisco Bay Area, Lorena found herself trapped in her apartment obsessively disinfecting surfaces, wearing gloves to cook meals and abstaining from holding her own two children. Both Lorena and her husband, Jorge, had tested positive for COVID-19. (Jhabvala Romero, 5/26)
