Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Mask Threat: Another Passenger Is Removed From A Flight; Arlington Cemetery Reopens
The Washington Post: Allegiant Passenger Allegedly Removed For Asking Flight Attendant To Wear A Mask
Allegiant Air removed a passenger from a Labor Day flight preparing for takeoff from Punta Gorda, Fla., for “making threatening statements to the flight attendant,” according to the airline. But in a video of the incident shared online, the man can be heard explaining that he had only asked the flight attendant to wear a face mask.“I need you to come off or I get law enforcement,” says an employee a in a video shared anonymously to social media news wire Storyful. The passenger says, “I just asked somebody to put on their face mask, that’s all I did." (McMahon, 9/8)
The Washington Post: Arlington National Cemetery To Reopen To The Public On Wednesday
Arlington National Cemetery will reopen to the public on Wednesday with limited hours, officials said.In a statement Tuesday, cemetery officials said it would be open to the public between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m., with face coverings mandatory and social distancing expected. The cemetery was closed to visitors in March because of the coronavirus pandemic, though those attending funerals have been permitted in the months since. (Moyer, 9/8)
The Hill: More Than 40 Groups Call For Coronavirus Protections For Oil And Gas Workers
A coalition of more than 40 organizations is urging the federal government to take steps to protect workers at oil and gas facilities, as well as the communities surrounding the sites, from the coronavirus. In a letter to the Interior Department, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), Coast Guard and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the groups specifically call for monthly public reporting on COVID-19 testing and infection rates at oil and gas facilities. (Frazin, 9/8)
The Washington Post: How To Sneeze During Coronavirus
Sneezing used to be a low-key sign that someone was getting sick or had allergies, and sneezing into your elbow was a polite way to indicate to those around us that we didn’t want to give them whatever we might have. However, the novel coronavirus, which has infected more than 6 million Americans and killed at least 180,000, causes a respiratory disease called covid-19 and spreads easily between people. In the midst of a global pandemic, sneezing into our elbows may no longer be enough. (Goren, 9/8)
Also —
Kaiser Health News: Exercise And Diet Are More Important Than Ever With Virus At Large
If your life these days is anything like mine, a pre-pandemic routine that included regular exercise and disciplined eating has probably given way to sedentary evenings on a big chair, binge-watching reruns of your favorite TV series while guzzling chocolate ice cream or mac ’n’ cheese. But let’s not beat ourselves up about it. Several doctors I spoke with recently said most of their patients and many of their colleagues are struggling to maintain healthy habits amid the anxiety of the pandemic. “The Quarantine 15” (pounds, that is) is a real phenomenon. (Wolfson, 9/9)
AP: Doctors Studying Why Obesity May Be Tied To Serious COVID-19
In the early days of the pandemic, doctors noticed something about the people severely ill from COVID-19: Many were obese.The link became more apparent as coronavirus swept across the globe and data mounted, and researchers are still trying to figure out why.Excess weight increases the chances of developing a number of health problems, including heart disease and diabetes. And those are among the conditions that can make COVID-19 patients more likely to get very sick. (Choi, 9/8)
In other public health news —
The Hill: Meth Use Rose Across US In Pandemic's Early Days: Laboratory Firm
Illegal use of methamphetamines grew across the U.S. in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, and evidence suggests that other drug use grew during that period as well, according to a laboratory report. Urine samples from patients across the U.S. tested positive for methamphetamines at a roughly 20 percent higher rate between March and May than previous samples taken between January and March 12, the day before President Trump declared a national emergency over the coronavirus pandemic, a report from the laboratory Millennium Health found. (Bowden, 9/8)
Good Morning America: Chrissy Teigen Turns To Botox To Treat Pregnancy Headaches: 'I See The Light Finally'
Pregnancy isn't always easy for expectant moms, and that includes mogul and author Chrissy Teigen, who is expecting her third child. Teigen shared on Twitter on Sept. 4 that she's been suffering from "bad pregnancy headaches," which she also struggled with during her second pregnancy. "I love being pregnant," Teigen tweeted in 2017. "I like it more than not being pregnant. But the headaches, my god the headaches. Someone… please help. Don't say water. Or Tylenol. Or iron. Or magnesium. I need witchcraft." This time around though, the superstar mom isn't turning to witchcraft, but Botox. Teigen, who's no stranger to Botox, has been using it to treat her regular headaches and migraines caused by jaw grinding. (Bernabe, 9/7)
