Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Facing Anguish, Hostility: Crushing Forces Threaten Mental Health Of Front-Line Workers
The New York Times: ‘I Can’t Turn My Brain Off’: PTSD And Burnout Threaten Medical Workers
The coronavirus patient, a 75-year-old man, was dying. No family member was allowed in the room with him, only a young nurse. In full protective gear, she dimmed the lights and put on quiet music. She freshened his pillows, dabbed his lips with moistened swabs, held his hand, spoke softly to him. He wasn’t even her patient, but everyone else was slammed. Finally, she held an iPad close to him, so he could see the face and hear the voice of a grief-stricken relative Skyping from the hospital corridor. After the man died, the nurse found a secluded hallway, and wept. (Hoffman, 5/16)
The Associated Press: Medics Around The World Face Hostility Over Virus Stigma
Dr. Dina Abdel-Salam watched in terror last month as scores of strangers gathered under the balcony of her aunt’s empty apartment in the Egyptian city of Ismailia, where she’d temporarily sheltered after leaving her elderly parents at home to protect them from exposure to the coronavirus. The crowd called out her name, hurling threats until she dialed the police for help. (Magdy and Schmall, 5/16)
The New York Times: A Brooklyn Hospital Mourns The Doctor Who Was ‘Our Jay-Z’
In the first weeks after the coronavirus pandemic hit New York, Dr. James A. Mahoney barely slept. When he was not working his day shifts at an intensive care unit at University Hospital of Brooklyn, he was working nights across the street at Kings County Hospital Center. When he was not at a hospital, he was conducting telemedicine sessions with his regular patients from home, making sure they were wearing masks and washing their hands. (Schwirtz, 5/18)
CIDRAP: Exploring Respirator Options For Protecting Health Workers From COVID-19
Since the beginning of America's battle with the novel coronavirus, N95s, the close-fitting respirators worn instead of face masks to protect frontline workers from infectious aerosols and respiratory droplets, have been in short supply. The respirators, most manufactured by 3M and Honeywell, are used globally and act as the crux of personal protective equipment (PPE) for hospital staff. (Soucheray, 5/15)
The Associated Press: Ukraine's Overburdened Doctors In Desperate Virus Fight
A breathing machine at a Ukrainian hospital breaks down, leaving a coronavirus patient gasping helplessly for air. Dr. Olha Kobevko rushes from room to room to see if there is an electrician among her other patients who can fix it. Eventually, she figures out a way to get the device working again on her own. (Chernov and Karmanau, 5/18)
Modern Healthcare: Black Healthcare Workers Hit Harder During Pandemic, Paper Finds
Minority communities throughout the country have experienced disproportionately high COVID-19 mortality rates. In Chicago, black residents make up 30% of the total population yet account for 48% of all deaths, according to recent city figures. Similar death rates have been found in New York City, and throughout Michigan and Louisiana. Wingfield said treating a high number of cases also causes any clinicians to experience burnout, exhaustion and trauma. However, she said the racial disparities of those affected by the pandemic further adds to the pressures felt by minority healthcare workers. (Johnson, 5/15)
Crain's Chicago Business: Surging PPE Demand Puts Giant Medical Products Company On The Spot
It took COVID-19 just a couple of months to drag Medline Industries into the global spotlight as a critical source of desperately needed personal protective equipment. But the attention hasn't always been flattering, and surging demand for basics like surgical gloves and face masks hasn't been the windfall it might appear to be. (Goldberg, 5/17)
