Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
More Americans Are Flying — But FAA Says Lots Are Unruly
NBC News: FAA Warns Of Spike In Unruly, Dangerous Passenger Behavior
The Federal Aviation Administration is warning air travelers about what it describes as a dramatic increase in unruly or dangerous behavior aboard passenger airplanes. ... The behavior in question includes passengers refusing to wear masks, drinking excessively and engaging in alleged physical or verbal assault, including what the agency describes as political intimidation and harassment of lawmakers. In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for example, a fistfight broke out amid a dispute over mask-wearing. In Washington, D.C., a passenger was escorted off a flight after arguing with flight attendants over the mask rule. (Costello, 5/3)
AP: US Sets Pandemic-Era High For Air Travel, Over 1.6 Million
The United States set another record for the number of air travelers since the pandemic set in, although passenger numbers remain far below 2019 levels. More than 1.6 million people were screened at U.S. airport checkpoints on Sunday, according to the Transportation Security Administration. That was the highest number screened since March 12 of last year when air travel began to plummet. (5/3)
In other public health news —
CIDRAP: Teen Exercise Drops During COVID-19 Stay-At-Home Orders
Adolescents' use of tobacco, cannabis, and alcohol did not change with stay-at-home orders in northern rural California, but their physical activity dropped, according to a study today in JAMA Pediatrics. The researchers included two cohorts of 9th and 10th graders in their 1,006-person study: 521 who were enrolled in spring 2019 and 485 who were enrolled in fall 2019. Originally, the survey was designed to assess just physical activity and substance abuse in general, with an initial survey and a 6-month follow-up. The researchers had chosen this region because youth tobacco use is historically higher in small communities. (McLernon, 5/3)
Philadelphia Inquirer: Vaccination Rates For Children Dropped During The Pandemic. Here’s How Philly-Area Pediatricians Worked To Increase Wellness Visits
When early pandemic lockdowns closed many doctors’ offices, the numbers of routine childhood vaccine doses administered decreased dramatically, concerning pediatricians around the country. A study by Kaiser Permanente published in Pediatrics this April found the decrease was most serious and persistent in older children. The trend was consistent with what pediatricians at Philadelphia-area hospitals experienced during the early stages of the pandemic. At Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, pediatricians saw a 43% decrease in immunizations given for vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, whooping cough, and the chicken pox. (Ao, 4/30)
NBC News: Schools Are Sending Kids To Virtual Classes As Punishment. Advocates Say That Could Violate Their Rights.
Student advocates in six states told NBC News that they’re working with numerous students who’ve either been excluded from in-person classes or have been threatened with exclusion if their behavior doesn’t improve. School leaders may be acting in the interest of safety, but advocates say that removing students from in-person classes because of their behavior may violate those students’ rights, especially if they have disabilities. (Einhorn, 5/4)
CNN: One Of The World's Best Restaurants Is Going Vegan
One of Eleven Madison Park's most iconic dishes has been whole roasted duck with daikon and plum -- it's a classic of the restaurant, and one its most long-standing offerings. But when the restaurant reopens next month after more than a year, that dish, and many others it has become known for, will no longer be available. The three-Michelin-starred New York restaurant will be going completely plant-based when it reopens next month, it announced Monday -- becoming one of the most high-profile restaurants to do so. (Asmelash, 5/3)
Bloomberg: Impossible Foods Wins Ruling To Continue Use Of Key Additive
The federal appeals court in San Francisco on Monday upheld a decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve the use of soy leghemoglobin as a color additive in Impossible’s imitation beef patties. The 2019 decision removed a hurdle for Impossible in extending its burger sales from restaurants to grocery stores. Soy leghemoglobin, or “heme,” is a red, genetically modified ingredient that Impossible has long touted as the key to the Impossible Burger’s flavor. But its use has brought regulatory problems in the U.S. and barred the products from major foreign markets, including China and the European Union. Beyond Meat Inc., Impossible’s main competitor, often points to its GMO-free ingredient list in its marketing. (Van Voris and Shanker, 5/3)
USA Today: Apple Watch May Track Blood Sugar Levels, Other Health Features
Your Apple Watch is apparently going to get a lot smarter in the months ahead. Future models may be able to measure blood sugar levels, blood pressure and blood alcohol, suggest revelations from one of Apple's suppliers. It's unknown whether all those features will be available in the Apple Watch 7, likely to be revealed this fall. U.K. company Rockley Photonics, which makes sensors for wearables, doesn't expect to deliver the silicon photonics chipsets needed for those health monitoring features until the first half of 2022, it said in documents filed in its process of becoming a publicly traded company. (Snider, 5/3)
WJCT 89.9 Jacksonville: Routine Cancer Screenings Still Not Back Up To Pre-Pandemic Numbers
One of the casualties of COVID-19 is routine screening for potential health problems, but a late diagnosis can mean more serious progressive of cancers like lung, breast and prostate. At the peak of the pandemic a year ago, screening across the country dropped to about 10% of what it had been and still hasn't recovered. If you don't look, you won't find, said Dr. Stephen Edge, vice president for system quality and outcomes at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Cancer and a breast cancer surgeon. (Hetherly, 5/3)
The Baltimore Sun: Towson Woman Turns Family Cancer Experience Into Company Sending Care Packages For Those Dealing Disease
Samantha Apel, of Armagh Village, recognizes the importance of self-care when life gets complicated. She recently started Help Them Thrive, a small company that sends soothing care packages to comfort and support people who’ve been thrust into the cancer world — newly diagnosed, post-surgery, mid-chemo, or beyond. (McGee, 5/4)
