Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Northwest Heat Wave Blamed On Climate Change
The Washington Post: Pacific Northwest Heat Wave Was ‘Virtually Impossible’ Without Human Influence
By all estimates, last week’s heat wave in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia was essentially unprecedented. Seattle hit 108 degrees, Portland spiked to 116 and Canada broke its national temperature record three days in a row, hitting 121 degrees on June 29. Hundreds of excess deaths were blamed on the brutal heat, which established records by margins of 10 degrees or more in spots. This was not “just another heat wave,” Christopher Burt, an expert on world weather extremes, wrote in a Facebook message, but rather “the most anomalous extreme heat event ever observed on Earth since records began two centuries ago.” (Cappucci, 7/7)
The New York Times: Climate Change Influenced Western Heat Wave, Analysis Finds
The extraordinary heat wave that scorched the Pacific Northwest last week would almost certainly not have occurred without global warming, an international team of climate researchers said Wednesday. Temperatures were so extreme — including readings of 116 degrees Fahrenheit in Portland, Ore., and a Canadian record of 121 in British Columbia — that the researchers had difficulty saying just how rare the heat wave was. But they estimated that in any given year there was only a 0.1 percent chance of such an intense heat wave occurring. (Fountain, 7/7)
Bloomberg: Climate Change Linked To 5 Million Deaths A Year, New Study Shows
The extraordinarily hot and cold temperatures that are becoming more common as climate change accelerates are responsible for 5 million deaths globally every year. Extreme weather accounted for 9.4% of all deaths globally between 2000 and 2019, according to researchers who on Wednesday published the first study linking changes in temperatures to annual increases in mortality. While most deaths have been caused by exposure to the cold, the trend is likely to reverse as the planet warms, they said. (Millan Lombrana, 7/7)
The heat wave isn't relenting —
ABC News: Oregon's Heat Wave Death Toll Reaches 107 In 'Mass Casualty' Event
Oregon's record-breaking heat wave reached a death toll of 107 on Tuesday, according to officials. The victims range in age from 37 to 97, according to the Oregon State Medical Examiner, as the state has been reeling from scorching triple-digit temperatures from June 25 to June 30. ... Some of the dead were found inside their homes without air conditioning or fans, according to local ABC affiliate KATU. Portland recorded a high of 116 on Monday, June 28. (Lenthang, 7/7)
The Washington Post: Another Intense Heat Wave To Roast Western U.S., Southwest Canada
Last week, Lytton, a small town in British Columbia, Canada, broke its nation’s all-time temperature reading three days in a row as temperatures soared as high as 121 degrees. Days later, the village largely burned to the ground as extreme wildfires spewed smoke and ash 55,000 feet into the sky. Now, southwest Canada and much of the western United States are bracing for another bout of exceptional heat amid a pattern that could once again place records in jeopardy. Death Valley, Calif., might spike to 130 degrees. (Cappuci, 7/6)
In other public health news —
AP: US Agency Offers $307 Million For Rural Water Projects
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will issue up to $307 million in grants and low-interest loans in an effort to modernize rural water infrastructure, officials announced Wednesday. The programs are aimed at towns with less than 10,000 people in 34 states and the territory of Puerto Rico. Officials made the announcement at a wastewater treatment center in the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, north of Santa Fe, where employees have worked to keep the aging plant running for its thousands of residents along the Rio Grande. (Attanasio, 7/8)
Fox News: Viruses Most Common Cause Of Myocarditis In Kids, American Heart Association Says
While myocarditis has been in the headlines lately due to rare occurrences in mRNA COVID-19 vaccine recipients, it’s viruses that are the most common cause of the condition in children, the American Heart Association (AHA) said. And while many cases resolve on their own, a statement from the group, which was published in Circulation, addressed treatment guidelines in recovering patients. (Hein, 7/7)
Philadelphia Inquirer: Pa.’s Amazon Workers Have Almost Twice As Many Serious Injuries As Other Warehouse Workers Here
Amazon’s local warehouse workers suffer serious injuries more often than employees at other warehouses, fueling criticism from labor groups as the retail giant rapidly expands across the Philadelphia region. With the pandemic pushing consumers to shop online, Amazon has snatched up facilities and posted thousands of job openings locally, by far the most of any employer. But injury records suggest the jobs can be more dangerous than comparable warehouses. Critics contend the company pressures employees to work at a fast pace without enough breaks. (Hetrick and Williams, 7/8)
