Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Drowning Experts Say How To Revive A Victim During Pandemic
The Washington Post: Experts Offer Guidelines For Safely Reviving Drowning Victims During Pandemic
Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation can save a life. But in the era of covid-19, it can also put lives at risk. That’s the odd dilemma faced by people who respond to drownings. Giving the air that is so necessary to drowning victims could also result in the transmission of the coronavirus. Now, an international group of resuscitation and drowning experts has weighed in on how to safely revive a drowned person. (Blakemore, 2/13)
And more public health news —
C-HIT.org: Calls To Rethink The War On Opioids
When three 13-year-old boys were sickened by the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl at a Hartford middle school on Jan. 13, it was a shocking reminder of the human toll of the opioid crisis. One of the boys later died and a sweep of the school surfaced 40 small plastic bags of the drug. Later that same day, dozens of people spoke out against a proposal to locate a methadone clinic on a commercial street on the New Haven-Hamden border. During the ongoing battle with COVID-19, there seems to be less attention being paid to opioid addiction, advocates say. But now these two events put opioids and opioid use disorder back in the spotlight. Deaths from opioid overdose in Connecticut have increased nearly 40% over the past three years, hitting 1,356 through the first 11 months of in 2021 and, police say, the state is flooded with ever-more-powerful synthetic opioids. (Hamm, 2/12)
ABC News: Wife Of Rams' Van Jefferson Goes Into Labor During Super Bowl LVI
The wife of the Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Van Jefferson left SoFi on a stretcher Sunday after going into labor during the Super Bowl LVI, a team spokesperson confirmed to ABC News. (Sanchez, 2/14)
KHN: Health Policy Valentines Too Sweet Not To Tweet
Nothing brightens our Twitter feeds like a few good health policy valentines ― except maybe a haiku or two. Tweeters showered us with love this season, writing poetic valentines about covid-19 testing and booster shots, the No Surprises Act, and more. Here are some of our favorites, starting with the winning tweet from @AlanJCard. (2/14)
