Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New York Sues Amazon, Says Covid Safety Protections Were Inadequate
The New York Times: New York Sues Amazon, Saying It Inadequately Protected Workers From Covid-19
New York’s attorney general, Letitia James, sued Amazon on Tuesday evening, arguing that the company provided inadequate safety protection for workers in New York City during the pandemic and retaliated against employees who raised concerns over the conditions. The case focuses on two Amazon facilities: a large warehouse on Staten Island and a delivery depot in Queens. Ms. James argues that Amazon failed to properly clean its buildings, conducted inadequate contact tracing for known Covid-19 cases, and “took swift retaliatory action” to silence complaints from workers. (Weise, 2/16)
The New York Times: Technology Executive Apologizes After Dozens of Event Attendees Contract Covid-19
A technology executive in California has apologized for hosting a conference in Culver City after which two dozen attendees and staff members at the event tested positive for the coronavirus. The executive, Peter H. Diamandis, was among those who contracted the coronavirus. He hosted the conference — an annual summit for a paid-membership group called Abundance 360 — indoors in late January, with a total of about 80 attendees, panelists and members of the support staff. (Fortin, 2/16)
In other public health news —
The Washington Post: NBA Postpones 6 Games Due To Spurs’ Positive Coronavirus Tests
The NBA postponed six upcoming games involving the San Antonio Spurs and Charlotte Hornets in response to four Spurs players testing positive for the coronavirus, marking the largest schedule disruption since the league tightened its health and safety protocols last month. (Golliver, 2/16)
Fox News: Coronavirus Lockdowns Saw Rise In Alcohol Use, Study Finds
Alcohol usage and dependency likely increased every month for Americans under COVID-19 lockdowns, a new study from the University of Arizona College of Medicine shows. Researchers let by William "Scott" Killgore, Ph.D., College of Medicine-Tuscon professor of psychiatry and director of the Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Lab, surveyed 5,931 U.S. adults from all 50 states -- roughly 1,000 of which completed a 10-item questionnaire regarding alcohol use and dependency. Hazardous alcohol use among those under lockdown rose from 21% in April to nearly 41% in September compared to those not under lockdown, probable alcohol dependence rose from nearly 8% to 29%, and severe alcohol dependence rose from nearly 4% to 17% over the same time period. (Conklin, 2/16)
CNN: Reparations For Slavery Could Have Reduced Covid-19 Transmission And Deaths In The US, Harvard Study Says
Covid-19 is disproportionately sickening and killing Black Americans, the result of centuries of structural racism, a group of Harvard researchers says. If the US had paid reparations the descendants of Black Americans who were enslaved, though, the risk of severe illness and death from the virus would be far lower, according to a new, peer-reviewed study by the researchers. (Andrew, 2/16)
CNN: Coping With Chronic Disease: Q&A With Tessa Miller
Tessa Miller was just 23 when her nightmare of deadly infections, procedures and misdiagnoses began. Over the next several years, Miller tried dozens of medications, was hospitalized more times than she can remember and required three fecal transplants. She visited gastroenterologists, allergists, oncologists, pain medicine specialists, endocrinologists, gynecologists and neurologists. (DuLong, 2/17)
