Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
The Wall Street Journal: The Cancer Test That Wall Street Is Betting On
Much of the public debate over cancer blood tests has focused on early detection products like the Galleri test from a company called Grail, which promises to screen healthy people for more than 50 types of cancer. While these tests capture headlines and Super Bowl ads, the more proven opportunity for investors has been in a less glamorous market: checking for cancer recurrence. (Wainer, 5/14)
Fierce Healthcare, Uncloseted Media: The Broken Pipeline Of Mental Healthcare For LGBTQ Teenagers
The first panic attack Quinn Pulsipher remembers having was at 8 years old. They describe it as “a pitch-black ghost that hugs them all over and tries to control their mind.” At the beach on vacation with their family, the wind suddenly picked up, and Quinn began hyperventilating, screaming and crying uncontrollably. Nothing could calm them down. After that first episode, the panic attacks occurred whenever there was a storm, sometimes even when there was just a light breeze. By the time Quinn was 14, they were “spiraling down.” They began failing most of their classes. They rarely left their room, even avoiding going to the store with their mom. Quinn, who is nonbinary, said the deterioration of their mental health was related to the rejection they received for their identity. (Gliadkovskaya and Donndelinger, 5/12)
Los Angeles Times: Hantavirus Strikes A Cruise Ship: A 'Perfect Storm' Or A Warning Sign?
The voyage was marketed for explorers eager to venture to “the edges of the map,” from Antarctica to some of the most remote islands in the world. It would be a tantalizing trip for tourists with an appetite for adventure — less about trips to the spa and lounging by the pool than a chance to see landscapes few humans have ever laid eyes upon. (Lin II, 5/14)
Stat: Alcohol Treatment Landscape Is Undergoing A Seismic Shift
All Jillian wanted was to regain control of her drinking. At 38, she knew alcohol had already cost her a marriage and begun to threaten her career. What had started as typical college-age shenanigans had morphed into regularly overindulging at professional happy hours, and eventually into an all-day urge to drink. Most days, a bottle of vodka journeyed from standing full in a cabinet to laying empty in a recycling bin. (Facher, 5/14)
The 19th: Feeling Invisible, Caregivers With Disabilities Also Need Support
Helina Josephson retired from a career in university administration in 2017 due to autoimmune disease and chronic pain. She has ice pick headaches, which are exactly what they sound like — sudden, stabbing pain in her head. She has arthritis in her hips. (Luterman, 5/13)
The New York Times: ‘Trimester Zero’: What To Expect When You’re Expecting To Expect
Two millenniums ago, in the foothills of ancient Greece, the physician and philosopher Hippocrates described pregnancy in terms of bread-making. In the thousands of years since, “a bun in the oven” has emerged as a euphemistic image for childbearing. That is, until a study suggested, in 2019, that pregnancy more closely resembles completing an ultramarathon. (Hew-Low, 5/12)
AP: New Clues About Homo Erectus Emerge From Study Of Ancient Teeth
An analysis of ancient teeth is giving scientists a rare peek into interactions between human relatives hundreds of thousands of years ago that have left a lasting imprint on our species. A new study reveals genetic clues about a human ancestor called Homo erectus. H. erectus arose in Africa about 2 million years ago and spread to other parts of the globe, including Asia and possibly Europe. (Ramakrishnan, 5/13)
