Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Home Injuries And Weight Gain In The Pandemic
The Wall Street Journal: Strains, Sprains And Pinched Nerves: Injuries At Home Are On The Rise
For more than a year, some of us have been working in makeshift offices, hunched over computers on beds, floors or coffee tables. Stuck at home, we’ve taken on projects and have been climbing ladders, painting walls and using tools that once collected dust in the basement. Some of us stopped exercising entirely—or launched into fitness routines without proper preparation. The result, doctors say, is more injuries among people hunkered down during the pandemic. “I’ve seen neck strains, rotator cuff injuries, low-back strains,” says Carlo Milani, a physiatrist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. That’s not all. Dr. Milani also is seeing “lumbar disc injuries, cervical spine disc injuries, pinched nerves in the neck, pinched nerves in the lower back.” (Reddy, 4/19)
The Washington Post: The Big Number: A Major Pandemic Weight Gain
Since the pandemic began, about 42 percent of U.S. adults have gained weight — 29 pounds, on average, according to the American Psychological Association’s latest “Stress in America” report. About half of the weight-gainers reported adding more than 15 pounds; 10 percent, more than 50 pounds. Men have put on more weight than women (37 vs. 22 pounds, on average), and younger adults have gained more than older people (millennials averaging 41 pounds vs. baby boomers at 16 pounds). (Searing, 4/19)
The New York Times: Emerging From The Pandemic With Acne, Facial Hair And Body Odor
Dr. Chanelle Coble, an adolescent medicine specialist at N.Y.U. Grossman School of Medicine, said that young people are experiencing the body changes of puberty without the supports they would usually get from their peer group, and that is part of the general stress of the pandemic year. In her New York City practice, Dr. Coble said that she has seen higher than usual rates of severe anxiety and depression, as well as disordered eating, including among 11-, 12- and 13-year-olds. (Klass, 4/19)
KHN: From Rotten Teeth To Advanced Cancer, Patients Feel The Effects Of Treatment Delays
With medical visits picking up again among patients vaccinated against covid-19, health providers are starting to see the consequences of a year of pandemic-delayed preventive and emergency care as they find more advanced cancer and rotting and damaged teeth, among other ailments. Dr. Brian Rah, chair of the cardiology department at Montana’s Billings Clinic, was confused in the early days of the covid pandemic. Why the sudden drop in heart attack patients at the Billings Clinic? And why did some who did come arrive hours after first feeling chest pains? (Alpert, 4/20)
In other public health news —
CIDRAP: Review Finds Increased MRSA Risk From Dog Ownership
A review and meta-analysis of previously published studies has identified dog ownership as a risk factor for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization, German researchers reported last week in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. ... The data suggest that transmission occurs primarily from humans to dogs, who then may serve as a reservoir for reinfection and transmission to other household members. In addition, dogs may be a vector for livestock-associated strains of MRSA. (4/19)
The New York Times: Authorities Did Not Try To Use ‘Red Flag’ Law For Indianapolis Gunman
In Brandon Hole’s case, prosecutors considered his immediate mental health crisis — his mother told them he had talked of killing himself — to be the priority, and after his gun was taken away, they considered the crisis averted. Research has shown that red flag laws do prevent gun suicides, and some of those who have studied gun violence say that suicide prevention should be seen as the primary purpose of such laws. (Robertson, 4/19)
The Washington Post: A 73-Year-Old With Dementia Took $14 Of Items From Walmart. Police Broke Her Arm In A Violent Arrest.
Karen Garner was plucking purple wildflowers and strolling back to her home in Loveland, Colo., last year when the police spotted her. A few minutes earlier, the 73-year-old with dementia had walked out of a Walmart without paying for some items worth roughly $14 before returning them to employees outside. Now, as the officer tried to arrest her, she appeared confused and frightened. “I’m going home,” she pleaded, still clutching the flowers as he wrestled her into handcuffs. (Elfrink, 4/20)
KHN: After A Deadly Year On The Roads, States Push For Safety Over Speed
As more Americans start commuting to work and hitting the roads after a year indoors, they’ll be returning to streets that have gotten deadlier. Last year, an estimated 42,000 people died in motor vehicle crashes and 4.8 million were injured. That represents an 8% increase over 2019, the largest year-over-year increase in nearly a century — even though the number of miles driven fell by 13%, according to the National Safety Council. (Bluth, 4/20)
In news about marijuana and other drugs —
AP: Should States Set Pot Policy By Its Potency? Some Say Yes
As marijuana legalization spreads across U.S. states, so does a debate over whether to set pot policy by potency. Under a law signed last month, New York will tax recreational marijuana based on its amount of THC, the main intoxicating chemical in cannabis. Illinois imposed a potency-related tax when recreational pot sales began last year. Vermont is limiting THC content when its legal market opens as soon as next year, and limits or taxes have been broached in some other states and the U.S. Senate’s drug-control caucus. (Peltz, 4/20)
Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio Plans To Double Number Of Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
Businesses can apply for 73 new dispensary licenses this summer, bringing the total allowed to 130 statewide. The Ohio Board of Pharmacy approved the expansion Monday afternoon. Under the plan, applicants would have to apply by the same rules as the initial 2017 application process, including security and business plan requirements. Applicants that meet the qualifications would be entered into a lottery to allocate licenses by dispensary district, which is typically one county or a group of two or three smaller counties. Licensees would be limited to five dispensary licenses total statewide, including licenses they have now. (Borchardt, 4/19)
New Hampshire Union Leader: Three Years After Law, The Right To Try Experimental Drugs Still Eludes Dying Patients
Lisa Stockman-Mauriello is dying. She has one last ambition: to live long enough to see her three sons graduate this year — from middle school, high school and college. She and her doctor believe she needs a new experimental drug to hold on. She’s unlikely to get it. (LaVito and Bloomberg, 4/19)
