Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
In Washington, DC, Pandemic Drove Up HIV Diagnoses
The Washington Post: New D.C. HIV Data Shows Uptick In Diagnoses Due To Pandemic
New HIV cases in D.C. remain far below historic highs, but in 2021 the city saw an uptick in diagnoses that public health experts say is likely to continue until testing and treatment return to pre-pandemic levels. There were 230 new HIV diagnoses in 2021, a decline of 83 percent from the peak of 1,374 cases in 2007 but an increase from 2019, when 219 cases were diagnosed, according to the Annual HIV, Hepatitis, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), and Tuberculosis (TB) Surveillance Report, which the city released Tuesday. (Portnoy, 2/7)
In other health news from D.C. and across the U.S. —
The Washington Post: D.C. Council To Spend $850,000 To Design Taft Bridge Suicide Barriers
The D.C. Council passed emergency legislation Tuesday to spend $850,000 to design suicide barriers on the William Howard Taft Bridge. The emergency legislation, introduced by council member Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), reallocates money within the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) budget to draw up the project on the bridge, which carries Connecticut Avenue NW over Rock Creek. It comes after two deaths by suicide on the bridge in the past year — the most recent in January — and months of community advocacy to build the barriers. (Elwood, 2/7)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 5 Wisconsin Toxic Shock Syndrome Cases Due To Improper Tampon Use
Five cases of toxic shock syndrome, a potentially deadly bacterial infection caused by the improper use of tampons, have been reported in Wisconsin since July, an alarming number given the last confirmed case was more than a decade ago. Four of the five cases were associated with super absorbency tampons used by teenage females, according to a Wisconsin Department of Health Services statement Tuesday. State Health officials stressed on a call with reporters Tuesday that no single brand is to blame. (Van Egeren, 2/7)
The Boston Globe: Boston Plans To Launch Pilot Program Offering Free Menstrual Products In City Buildings
As Boston prepares a pilot program that would offer free menstrual products in the city’s public buildings, three city councilors are pushing for the city to widen its focus by including contraceptive methods such as condoms and Plan B into the program. (Woodard, 2/7)
St. Louis Public Radio: Missouri Senate Debates Version Of ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill
A bill barring the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in Missouri schools drew criticism during public testimony Tuesday. Under the legislation, teachers, counselors, school nurses, principals or other employees at public or charter schools would be prohibited from talking about sexual orientation and gender identity with students. It does allow such discussions if the employee is a licensed mental health provider and prior parental permission is given. (Kellogg, 2/7)
Bangor Daily News: Paid Leave Negotiations Kick Off With Strong Maine GOP Opposition
Top Republicans in the Maine Legislature on Tuesday criticized a push for a sweeping paid family and medical leave program.It promises to be one of the highest-profile items debated in the State House this year and is moving along two tracks. Supporters are trying to get a referendum on the 2023 ballot that would put Maine among 11 other states to start this kind of publicly funded insurance program. Meanwhile, a state commission is set to deliver its recommended version to the Democratic-led Legislature. (Shepherd, 2/7)
On drug use and overdoses —
KHN: More Young Colorado Children Are Consuming Marijuana Despite Efforts To Stop Them
The number of children — especially very young ones — ingesting marijuana is rising in Colorado despite regulations meant to keep edibles out of kids’ hands, and state leaders said they have no plans to revisit those rules this year. The number of reports the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Safety office received of kids age 5 or younger exposed to marijuana skyrocketed from 56 in 2017 to 151 in 2021. By 2021, this age group made up nearly half of all marijuana exposures — in which the drug is ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin — reported to the office, which is part of the nonprofit Denver Health organization. (Santoro, 2/8)
Philadelphia Inquirer: Marijuana Gummies And Other Edibles Are Sending More Kids To The Hospital
A 4-year-old Montgomery County girl began gasping for air one evening in early 2021, and seemed unusually drowsy though it was not yet bedtime. She was rushed more than 15 miles away to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where she was diagnosed with acute respiratory distress and fitted with a breathing mask. (Avril and Purcell, 2/8)
Philadelphia Inquirer: Mobile Methadone Clinics Are Closer To Opening In Philadelphia. Here's A Primer On How They Work
For many people with opioid addiction, getting treatment isn’t simply about finding the right doctor. Heavy federal restrictions around methadone — one of the most effective addiction medications — can keep this lifesaving treatment out of reach for those who lack housing, or transportation, or can’t take time off at work. Rhode Island is testing a solution to get around these barriers to treatment: a methadone clinic that operates out of a van to get medication to vulnerable patients. (Whelan, 2/7)
WTEN Albany: Saratoga County Unveils Digital Dashboard Aiding In Opioid Education
Saratoga County officials unveiled a comprehensive, near real-time substance use surveillance dashboard today. Saratoga is the first upstate county to offer a dashboard like this which helps the county in its education, prevention, treatment, and response efforts in combatting the opioid epidemic. (House, 2/7)
Dallas Morning News: Fentanyl’s Deadly Consequences Prompt Texas Schools To Step Up Drug Awareness
A suburban school district southwest of Austin shared a video in classrooms that depicts a student performing CPR on his friend for 15 minutes after he suffered from a suspected fentanyl poisoning. It’s part of an aggressive awareness campaign launched after four students in the Hays school district died from fentanyl poisoning or suspected poisoning. Other videos feature the parents and friends of students who died. (Olivares, 2/8)
McKnights: Opioid Tapering Can Disrupt Primary Care Bond, Lead To More ED Visits
Clinicians may wish to carefully weigh the risks and benefits when considering drug tapering for patients on long-term opioids therapy with stable doses, the results of a new study suggest. This action may trigger a series of unintended consequences, investigators say. (Lasek, 2/8)
