Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Monkeypox Infecting Black, Hispanic Americans At Higher Rates
CIDRAP: Report: Monkeypox Case Rates 5 Times Higher In Black Americans
A new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) based on Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data reveals that monkeypox case rates in the US disproportionately affect Black and Latino Americans, with Black Americans having case rates 5 times of those found among White peers (14.4 cases vs. 2.6 per 100,000). (Soucheray, 10/6)
ABC News: Monkeypox Has Disproportionately Impacted Hispanic And Latino Men In US
Since the early days of the monkeypox outbreak in the United States, Hispanic and Latino men may have been disproportionately affected. While data from the CDC is limited and fewer than 50% of cases include information about race/ethnicity, it indicates that there may be disparities for Hispanic and Latino Americans affected by monkeypox. (Kekatos, 10/7)
More on monkeypox —
Nature: The Monkeypox Virus Is Mutating. Are Scientists Worried?
As researchers at the Minnesota Department of Health in St. Paul were sequencing samples of the monkeypox virus a few months ago, they made a surprising discovery. In one sample collected from an infected person, a large chunk of the virus’s genome was missing, and another chunk had moved to an entirely different spot in the sequence. (Kozlov, 10/5)
NBC News: Are Pets At Risk Of Catching Monkeypox From Humans?
The risk of people with monkeypox passing the virus to their pets is low, the authors of a new study that found no such transmissions in the United Kingdom have concluded. The study’s findings offer a broader perspective in the wake of two recently reported cases of apparent monkeypox transmission from humans to their pets, including a dog in France and a puppy in Brazil. (Ryan, 10/7)
The Washington Post: Five Men Share The Personal And Economic Toll Of Having Monkeypox
The virus is rarely deadly and only a few fatalities have been reported in the United States. But TikTok and Instagram are flush with firsthand accounts of agony and loneliness. Here are the stories of five men who contracted monkeypox, as told to reporter Fenit Nirappil. (Nirappil, 10/6)
