Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Emergency Responders Wary Of Safely Protecting Evacuees From Storms, COVID
WBUR: U.S. Disaster Response Scrambles To Protect People From Both Hurricanes And COVID-19
A powerful storm could uproot tens of thousands of people at a time when coronavirus infections and deaths from COVID-19 are soaring through the region. Congregate shelters, from school gyms to vast convention centers, risk becoming infection hot spots if evacuees pack into them. Shelters are managed by the American Red Cross under the supervision of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. But the Red Cross intends to adhere to new guidelines based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's social distancing standards, which could cut shelter capacity by as much as 60%, according to local emergency managers. (Wendle, 7/22)
CNN: Experiencing Racism May Harm Cognitive Health
Chronic stress can change your brain. Experiencing racism could make it worse. Racial discrimination may increase stress, lead to health problems and hamper cognitive function for Black women, a new study finds. (Rogers, 7/21)
Detroit Free Press: Right To Life Of Michigan Abandons Drive To Ban Abortion Procedure
Right to Life of Michigan has abandoned a petition drive aimed at outlawing an abortion procedure, the group announced Tuesday. Right to Life had collected signatures for a legislative initiative to ban an abortion procedure that is medically known as dilation and evacuation, a procedure that abortion opponents call "dismemberment abortion." (Egan, 7/21)
Kaiser Health News: Bingeing On Doom: Expert On The ‘Black Death’ Attracts Cult Following
Before COVID-19, Purdue University English professor Dorsey Armstrong was well known in a way that only other enthusiasts of medieval literature and culture might appreciate. That is to say, she once got a discount on a replica of an Anglo-Saxon drinking horn — made from an actual cattle horn — because a guy at a conference recognized her. “That’s the only time I felt famous,” said Armstrong, an expert in medieval studies who heads the English department at Purdue in Indiana. (Aleccia, 7/22)
In tech news —
Stat: As New Users Flock To Health Apps, Experts Raise Alarms On Privacy
As digital health tools proliferate, health data experts are raising a new round of alarms about the need to educate consumers about data privacy until legislative protections catch up. The pandemic has sidelined many in-person visits, driving flocks of potential new users toward mental health apps, virtual visits, and other digital tools to manage their care. But consumers are often unaware that the rules that govern health data privacy in hospitals don’t extend to these sprawling, digital territories — each of which can effectively enforce its own policies around how to handle sensitive data, experts said. (Isselbacher, 7/21)
Stat: Hospitals Deploy AI To Send Patients Home Earlier — And Keep Them There
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has a problem familiar to many hospitals: Too many patients aren’t being discharged when they’re healthy enough to go home. It’s an issue with wide-ranging ripple effects: Because of operational holdups, much-needed beds remain filled when they don’t need to be, leading emergency rooms to become congested. Patients must often be sent wherever there’s a free bed, even when it’s not the best ward for them to be treated, which might further delay their discharge. (Robbins, 7/22)
WBUR: A New Website Helps People Find And Assess Addiction Treatment
Massachusetts is one of six states launching an online tool designed to help people find addiction treatment. The national nonprofit Shatterproof created the website known as ATLAS, an Addiction Treatment Locator, Assessment and Standards platform. The site offers information about addiction treatment providers, including the types of services, medications and accepted insurance. It also allows patients to see and provide feedback about their experiences with providers. (Becker, 7/21)
Also —
The Hill: 'Grey's Anatomy' To Address Coronavirus Pandemic In Coming Season
Krista Vernoff, the executive producer behind “Grey's Anatomy,” said the show will be addressing the COVID-19 pandemic in its coming season. During a virtual panel discussion held by the Television Academy that is set to air on YouTube later Tuesday, Vernoff confirmed the series is “going to address this pandemic for sure” in its 17th season, according to an exclusive report by Entertainment Weekly. (Folley, 7/21)
Reuters: NFL: Total Of 59 Players Test Positive For COVID-19, Union Says
Fifty-nine National Football League (NFL) players in total have tested positive for COVID-19, the players’ union said, with rookies scheduled to report to their teams on Tuesday and training camps opening for all players from July 28. Including other individuals within the NFL, such as staff members, who have tested positive, the total number of cases stand at 95, a spokesman for the union NFLPA said. (7/21)
CNN: This Artist Paints Portraits Of Frontline Medical Workers Capture Their Exhaustion Treating Covid-19 Patients
When the pandemic forced artist and video game developer Steve Derrick to work from home, he found himself with extra time on his hands that he said he did not want to spend watching Netflix or Hulu. When he stumbled on a magazine photo of a nurse who had just spent a long shift treating Covid-19 patients, he decided to paint her with marks from her PPE and all. This led him to paint more than 100 portraits of frontline medical workers and send the paintings to his subjects, free of charge. (Kinder, 7/21)
