Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'I Thought This Was A Hoax': 30-Year-Old's Regret On Deathbed Was Going To COVID Party, Doctor Says
ABC News: 30-Year-Old Dies After Attending 'COVID Party' Thinking Virus Was A 'Hoax'
"I think I made a mistake. I thought this was a hoax, but it's not." Those were the final words of a 30-year-old patient who died at Methodist Hospital in San Antonio this week after attending a so-called "COVID party," according to the hospital. Dr. Jane Appleby, chief medical officer for Methodist Hospital and Methodist Children’s Hospital, said in a recorded statement that the unidentified patient told nurses about the party, which she said is hosted by someone diagnosed with coronavirus. (Torres, 7/11)
Stat: Telehealth Is Convenient During Covid-19. It’s Also A Magnet For Data Theft
The increased convenience of telemedicine visits during the Covid-19 pandemic is spurring calls among patients and doctors to permanently expand access across the U.S. But financial and privacy watchdogs are spreading a different message: Be careful what you wish for. (Ross, 7/13)
Kaiser Health News: Adding To COVID Stress, Families Of Health Workers Fight For Denied Workers’ Comp Benefits
James “Mike” Anderson was a hospital employee in suburban Philadelphia with a low-profile though critical job: changing air filters in COVID patients’ rooms. By late March, new COVID cases in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, had ramped up to as many as 90 per day. At the hospital, Anderson handled air filters and other surfaces that might have been contaminated with the deadly virus, also known to hang in the air. (Bailey and Jewett, 7/13)
NPR: How To Help Kids With Anxiety During The Pandemic
As the pandemic continues, children are still mostly at home. Summer activities are canceled or up in the air, and many children are suffering confusion and stress. Parents may be stressed themselves, but there are ways to help kids feel better. (Neighmond, 7/11)
ABC News: Faces Of Some Of The More Than 130,000 Lives Lost In US To Coronavirus
The novel coronavirus pandemic has left an indelible mark on Americans of all ages and from all walks of life. The death toll has climbed well over the grim milestone of 100,000 -- more than the deadliest flu season in recent years and at such a startlingly quick pace that it forced the unprecedented shutdown of the country's economy. Those we've lost come from all backgrounds and include the very people -- first responders and medical staff -- who have been working so diligently and selflessly to stem the tide of the infection and care for the sick. (Shapiro, Brown, Lloyd and Miller, 7/11)
The Washington Post: Coronavirus Is Just One Of Many Viruses Bats Carry. So Why Don't They Get Sick?
For several weeks in March, Arinjay Banerjee would eat breakfast at 6 a.m. and then drive the empty roads of Toronto to a restricted-access lab. Then he’d ready himself for work, donning three layers of gloves, a helmeted mask kitted with an air-purifying respirator and a surgical-style gown. The stringent conditions in that Toronto lab — only one level below the most secure in the biosafety hierarchy — were crucial. Banerjee, a virologist, was on a team working to isolate SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes covid-19, from one of the first patients in Canada so that they could get a jump on vaccine development. (Ehrenberg, 7/12)
The Wall Street Journal: From Flour To Canned Soup, Coronavirus Surge Pressures Food Supplies
Grocers are having trouble staying stocked with goods from flour to soups as climbing coronavirus case numbers and continued lockdowns pressure production and bolster customer demand. (Gasparro and Kang, 7/12)
AP: URI Grant To Help Reduce Food Waste, Boost Food Access
The University of Rhode Island has received a $100,000 federal grant that will help reduce food waste while improving access to healthy, locally-grown food for residents in need. The grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will be used to establish the Food System Steward Program at URI, according to a statement from Democratic U.S. Sen. Jack Reed’s office. (7/12)
In other news —
CIDRAP: CDC Confirms 300 More Cyclospora Cases In Bagged Salad Outbreak
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said there were 303 additional cases of cyclosporiasis in a multistate outbreak linked to bagged salads sold at major grocery stores. The CDC said 509 people in eight states have been sickened. Thirty-three people have been hospitalized, but there have been no deaths. (7/10)
AP: Activists Seek To Decriminalize 'Magic' Mushrooms In DC
Last Monday, activists presented more than 36,000 signatures to the Board of Elections. If the signatures hold up through the verification process, voters in the nation’s capital will face a November ballot initiative that would decriminalize psilocybin “magic” mushrooms and other natural psychedelics like mescaline. (Khalil, 7/13)
KQED: Who Benefits From San Francisco’s Paid Leave For New Parents?
Back in 2017, San Francisco became the first city in the U.S. to offer new parents their full paychecks while they miss work to bond with their babies or adopted children. But according to a study published this week in the health policy journal, Health Affairs, the historic law has limited reach among low-income families, who arguably need the benefits the most. (Romero, 7/11)
The Wall Street Journal: How To Exercise Safely Outdoors In The Heat
Summer’s heat doesn’t have to ruin your exercise routine. It will be hot and sweaty—that’s a given. But you can help your body adjust to higher temperatures and feel less uncomfortable. (Potkewitz, 7/12)
