Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
One Surprising Pandemic Side Effect: Keeping Pregnancies Secret
The New York Times: Some Women Are Keeping Their Pregnancies Secret During Pandemic
The pandemic has transformed the reality for many women, allowing pregnant women to stay out of sight of colleagues (if they are working remotely) and friends and family, since socializing is so limited. With that comes the freedom to talk about their pregnancy when they are comfortable and when they feel it won’t harm them professionally or psychologically. (Krueger, 1/22)
In other public health news —
CIDRAP: US Flu Levels Drop Slightly For Second Consecutive Week
For the second week in a row, US flu markers showed a slight decline, though activity is still elevated and will likely continue for several more weeks, the US Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) said today in its weekly update. The percentage of outpatient visits for flulike illness is still above the national baseline, but it dropped from 4.3% to 3.5% last week. The CDC has said that flu is just one of multiple respiratory viruses contributing to flulike illness levels and that flu levels vary in different parts of the country. (1/21)
The Washington Post: Most Adults Don’t Consume The Recommended Amount Of Fruits And Vegetables
Although fruits and vegetables are considered a key part of healthy eating, most U.S. adults are not consuming enough of them, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It found that only 12 percent of adults consume 1½ to 2 cups of fruit daily, the amount recommended by the federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Even fewer — just 10 percent — eat the suggested 2 to 3 cups of vegetables daily. (Searing, 1/23)
The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Food Supply Is Under Pressure, From Plants To Store Shelves
The U.S. food system is under renewed strain as Covid-19’s Omicron variant stretches workforces from processing plants to grocery stores, leaving gaps on supermarket shelves. In Arizona, one in 10 processing plant and distribution workers at a major produce company were recently out sick. In Massachusetts, employee illnesses have slowed the flow of fish to supermarkets and restaurants. A grocery chain in the U.S. Southeast had to hire temporary workers after roughly one-third of employees at its distribution centers fell ill. (Newman and Kang, 1/23)
ABC News: 'Multiple' Dogs May Have Been Sickened By Rat-Transmitted Illness, NYC Official Says
New York City dog owners are being warned after several pets may have been sickened by leptospirosis, a disease commonly associated with rats.A city council member said this week his office had received "reports of multiple dog fatalities" in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg. (Deliso, 1/22)
Politico: How A Toxic Chemical Ended Up In The Drinking Water Supply For 13 Million People
New Jersey’s largest drinking water supplier discovered a toxic chemical in the river where it gets water for hundreds of thousands of customers, setting off a major search for polluters that led back to a Pennsylvania wastewater treatment plant and a South Jersey company. The chemical New Jersey American Water Co. found, 1,4-Dioxane, is a byproduct of plastic manufacturing that is considered a likely carcinogen by the federal government. While the chemical has been found in water supplies before, this discovery in early 2020 set off alarms because of the high levels in a section of the Delaware River close to American Water’s treatment plant in South Jersey that sends drinking water to customers in Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem counties. (Rivard, 1/23)
The Washington Post: People Who Survive Multiple Disasters Have Worse Mental Health
In the aftermath of a disaster such as a fire or flood, the focus tends to be on rebuilding and getting back to normal. But in places that have experienced multiple disasters, mental resiliency could be harder to rebuild than a house or business. That’s the implication of a recent study that shows people who have been through multiple disasters have worse mental health than the national average. (Blakemore, 1/23)
And conjoined twins are separated in Philadelphia —
USA Today: Conjoined Twins Successfully Separated After 10-Hour CHOP Surgery
A couple and hospital were celebrating after the separation of 10-month-old conjoined twins Addison and Lilianna Altobelli. Addison and Lilianna were joined at abdomen and chest, according to a news release from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The twins shared a liver, diaphragm, chest and abdominal wall. Their parents, Maggie and Dom Altobelli, learned they were having conjoined twins at a 20-week ultrasound appointment. “I was trying to find out the gender of one baby I thought we were having, and then it turned out to be a little more complicated,” Maggie told NBC's "Today." “It was an out-of-body experience. It’s like, ‘What do you mean their stomachs are connected? Is this even a thing?” (Gilbert, 1/21)
