Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Miami's NBA Team Signs On Covid-Sniffing Dogs To Detect Sick Fans
The Hill: Miami Heat To Use Coronavirus-Sniffing Dogs As Team Plans To Bring More Fans Back
The Miami Heat will host some fans in person during upcoming games using coronavirus-sniffing dogs amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The NBA team announced last week that it will use the specially trained dogs at AmericanAirlines Arena in in Miami. The animals have been trained to sit next to an attendee if they detect the presence of the COVID-19 virus. (Pitofsky, 1/24)
CNN: The Face Mask That Could End The Covid-19 Pandemic
Getting Americans masked up is a top priority for the Biden administration. Biden, who calls wearing masks "a patriotic act," signed an executive order Wednesday -- his very first as President -- to ask Americans to wear masks of their choice for the first 100 days of the new administration. The executive order also requires mask use on all federal property, though in this case, not just any old mask will do. (Enriquez, 1/23)
The New York Times: Do Curfews Slow The Coronavirus?
The scientific evidence on curfews is far from ideal. There has not been a pandemic like this one in a century. While curfews make intuitive sense, it’s very hard to discern their precise effects on viral transmission, let alone transmission of this coronavirus. (Kolata, 1/23)
In other public health news —
Modern Healthcare: Avocado A Day Keeps The Doctor Away
Forget the apple, how about an avocado a day to keep the doctor away? New research in the Journal of Nutrition—albeit funded by the Hass Avocado Board—suggests eating the fruit daily—yes, it is a fruit—can greatly improve gut health. “We know eating avocados helps you feel full and reduces blood cholesterol concentration, but we did not know how it influences the gut microbes and the metabolites the microbes produce,” Sharon Thompson, graduate student in the Division of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Illinois and lead author on the paper, said in a news release. (1/23)
