Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Getting To The Olympics Takes Years Of Training And Dedication ... For These Doctors
Stat: Doctors At The Olympics Work For Years To Get To The Games
As Team USA preps for the Winter Olympics festivities to kick off this weekend, it’s not only the 243 athletes who are getting ready for action — it’s also a crew of medical volunteers who undergo a grueling selection process of their own. The official U.S. Olympic Committee’s Sports Medicine Division recruits a crew of volunteer doctors — as well as orthopedists, chiropractors, nurses, sports therapists, massage therapists, and more — every two years. Those selected will work with Olympic teams during training and practices and ultimately at the games themselves — some caring for one team exclusively; others moving around as the need arises. And they do it all uncompensated. (Samuel, 2/8)
Meanwhile —
The New York Times: Norovirus Cases At Olympics More Than Double, Moving Beyond Security Staff
The number of confirmed cases of norovirus at the Winter Games has risen to 86 from 32 in just two days as Olympic officials struggle to track the source of the outbreak on the eve of the opening ceremony. Hong Jeong-ik from South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday that the new cases included staff members of the Pyeongchang Olympics Organizing Committee, venue personnel and even cafeteria workers — a sign that the highly contagious virus had spread beyond the security personnel who were the first to test positive. (Qin, 2/8)
