Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Odds Of Developing Type 2 Diabetes Is Greater In Kids Who Catch Covid
Stat: Covid In Children Is Linked To Higher Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes
It may be time to add Covid-19 infection to the list of possible risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes at a young age. An observational study published Monday in JAMA Network Open found that children and adolescents were one-and-a-half times more likely to be diagnosed with the metabolic disorder in the months after having Covid-19 compared to similar kids who weathered other respiratory infections. Children with obesity were twice as likely to have new type 2 diabetes post-Covid and those who were sick enough to be hospitalized were almost three times as likely to do so. (Cooney, 10/14)
Medical Xpress: In-Depth Analysis Explains Why Preschoolers Are Less Likely To Develop Severe COVID-19
A large team of immunologists and physician–scientists from multiple institutions in France has conducted an in-depth study that compares the immune response of preschoolers to older children and adults. The team focused on the adaptive immune response—the activities of T cells and B cells—to understand how the youngest among us are generally spared from severe, even fatal infections. (Ricks, 10/15)
Stat: Study: 130,000 U.S. Cancer Cases Went Undiagnosed In The Covid Pandemic
When the U.S. health care system pivoted to meet Covid-19 in 2020, routine health visits and screenings where many cancer cases would have been caught didn’t happen. It wasn’t ideal, but many health experts thought that as the country opened back up, screenings would help “catch up” to these missed cases. A new paper published Monday in JAMA Network Open suggests that didn’t happen as quickly as experts had hoped. (Chen, 10/14)
News-Medical.net: Research Links COVID-19 Vaccines To Temporary Facial Palsy In Over 5,000 Patients
A recent study published in Emerging Infectious Diseases reported on the potential association between vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and facial palsy (FP). They found an increased risk of FP within 28 days post-vaccination, especially after the first and second doses of both messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and viral vaccines. (Chaphalkar, 10/15)
Also —
Chicago Tribune: Chicago Experts Urge Vaccination As COVID Strain XEC Spreads
A new COVID variant called XEC has been spreading around the globe as respiratory virus season begins — and many public health experts are concerned about a pattern of troublingly low COVID and flu vaccination rates in recent years. (Lourgos, 10/12)
Fox News: Mask Mandates Return For Health Care Facilities In Deep Blue State
Mask mandates are returning for a limited time during cold and flu season in the heart of deep-blue California's San Francisco Bay Area. With winter fast approaching, several Bay Area counties have recently issued health orders requiring that face makes be worn in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and other health care settings beginning on Nov. 1 and extending through either March 31 or April 30, 2025, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The new mandates were put into effect to prevent the spread of the flu, COVID and other seasonal illnesses. (Pandolfo, 10/12)
