Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
Each week, KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to enjoy. Today's selections are on infectious-disease detectives, Powassan virus, the LA wildfires, Pope Leo XIV, and more.
The Washington Post:
She Jumped From A Helicopter While At The CDC: ‘That’s The Nature Of Public Health’
Infectious-disease detective Victoria Chu had only a few hours notice for her unusual assignment. Fly in a military helicopter to a cruise ship idling off the coast of San Francisco. Rappel down to the ship deck, then test passengers and crew for the deadly coronavirus that was spreading around the globe. It was early March 2020. The virus had already killed 14 Americans, including a passenger who had previously traveled on the ship. (Sun, 5/15)
The Boston Globe:
After Weeks In The ICU, They Finally Got A Diagnosis: It Was A Tick Bite
Kevin Boyce was a homebody at heart. Just weeks prior, he was peeling off his heavy boots as he got home from work. He was sinking into the couch to watch TV with his wife. He was romping around on the living room floor with his now 2-year-old granddaughter. It was hard to believe he was now dying of Powassan virus. (Douglas, 5/12)
The New York Times:
When Getting Out Of Jail Means A Deadly Walk Home
Nearly every day in Santa Fe, N.M., people released from jail trudge along a dangerous highway to get back to town. Jails often fail to offer safe transport options for prisoners. (Bogel-Burroughs, 5/12)
The New York Times:
An L.A. Doctor’s House Burned. Now He Treats The Fires’ Effects In Neighbors
A new clinic, opened by a pulmonologist who lost his home in the Palisades blaze, is addressing the health issues developing among people exposed to the fires. (Baumgaertner Nunn, 5/13)
Los Angeles Times:
Dental Offices Don’t Need To Be Sterile Holding Pens. This Beverly Hills Project Is Plush, Pink And Magical
In the circular office designed by Charlap Hyman & Herrero, each and every room is a unique experience. (Schilling, 5/12)
North Carolina Health News:
Chlorine Vs. Contamination: How Factory Farms Affect Drinking Water
Allan O’Briant knows that providing clean drinking water to 125,000 customers can be a tall order. As the water treatment plant supervisor for Harnett Regional Water, he’s constantly balancing the need to disinfect the water supply with controlling potentially harmful byproducts. One of the challenges O’Briant and his colleagues face is controlling trihalomethanes, a chemical liquid byproduct that forms when chlorine, used to kill microorganisms, reacts with natural organic matter in the water. (Atwater, 5/12)
The New York Times:
For Leo XIV, Becoming Pope Could Have Surprising Health Benefits
For a pontiff, Pope Leo XIV is young. At 69, he’s seven years junior to his predecessor Francis when he became pope, and nine years to Benedict XVI before him. Still, the new pope is already older than many people are when they retire. And he is not simply adopting a new hobby. He is taking on a high-stakes, high-stress role that he is expected to occupy until death. (Agrawal and Ravindranath, 5/13)
