Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Gun Deaths Of US Children Rose Dramatically During Pandemic
USA Today: Gun Violence Affecting Kids Soars During COVID-19 Pandemic
Children and teens in the USA are 15 times more likely to die from gunfire than their peers in 31 other high-income countries combined, according to the Children’s Defense Fund. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation has grown more dire. Last year was the deadliest year for gun violence in the USA in at least two decades, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit data collection and research group that uses a combination of police statistics and media reports. In 2020, more than 5,100 kids under 18 were shot – about 1,000 more than at any point since at least 2014, when the archive launched – and more than 1,300 died. The numbers of kids shot and killed both increased by more than a third from the previous year. (Hauck and Miller, 9/20)
In other public health news —
CIDRAP: Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 127 In 25 States; Cake Mix E Coli Probe Ends
A rapidly growing Salmonella Oranienburg outbreak linked to an unknown food source has sickened 127 people, some of them part of restaurant clusters, from 25 states, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a Sep 17 announcement. The number of cases reported to the CDC has grown from 20 on Sep 2, when the CDC identified the outbreak. Patient ages range from 1 to 82 years, and 59% are female. Of 49 people with available information, 18 were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. The latest illness onset was Sep 1. (9/20)
NPR: A Study Finds That Stroke Recovery May Depend On When Rehab Starts
People who have had a stroke appear to regain more hand and arm function if intensive rehabilitation starts two to three months after the injury to their brain. A study of 72 stroke patients suggests this is a "critical period," when the brain has the greatest capacity to rewire, a team reports in this week's journal PNAS. The finding challenges the current practice of beginning rehabilitation as soon as possible after a stroke and suggests intensive rehabilitation should go on longer than most insurance coverage allows, says Elissa Newport, a co-author of the study and director of the Center for Brain Plasticity and Recovery at Georgetown University Medical Center. (Hamilton, 9/20)
CNN: 1 In 5 Parents' Kids Eat More Fast Food During The Pandemic, Poll Finds
For some families, the pandemic has thrown a wrench in healthy eating plans due to stress from remote work, e-learning, money problems, sickness and more. While half of surveyed parents reported their family has eaten home-cooked meals more often since the pandemic started, 20% of parents said their family has had fast food more often, according to a new poll published Monday. (Rogers, 9/20)
NBC News: Amy Schumer Shares Story Of Having Uterus, Appendix Removed To Treat Endometriosis
Comedian and actor Amy Schumer announced on Instagram that she had had a hysterectomy and an appendectomy to treat endometriosis, a painful uterine condition. "I'm feeling really hopeful and I am really glad that I did it, and I think it's going to change my life," Schumer said. Schumer, the star of "Inside Amy Schumer" and "Trainwreck," explained the condition and her surgery in a series of Instagram posts from her hospital room over the weekend and Monday. Schumer, 40, said the doctor had found that 30 endometriosis spots had spread from her uterus to her appendix, which was also removed. (Fitzsimons, 9/20)
