Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Over 150 Rafters, Campers Caught Norovirus In Grand Canyon
The Washington Post: More Than 150 Grand Canyon Visitors Infected With Norovirus
More than 150 rafters and backcountry campers who visited the Grand Canyon in April and May reported symptoms of a gastrointestinal illness, the National Park Service said this week. The symptoms — including nausea, stomach cramping and pain, vomiting, and diarrhea — are representative of norovirus, according to a release from the National Park Service Office of Public Health. (Compton, 6/29)
In other health and wellness news —
CIDRAP: NIH Launches Universal Flu Vaccine Clinical Trial
The National Institute of Health (NIH) yesterday announced the launch of a phase 1 clinical trial of a universal flu vaccine, with a goal of enrolling up to 100 adults 18 to 55 years old. (6/29)
The Washington Post: U.S. Population Continues To Become Older, More Diverse, Census Data Shows
The U.S. population is continuing a two-decade trajectory during which it has grown older and less White, according to Census Bureau data released Thursday. (Bahrampour, 6/30)
CNN: Sleep Duration Matters For Heart Health: AHA Checklist
If you needed another reason to get enough sleep, here it is: It may help your heart health. The American Heart Association added sleep duration to its cardiovascular health checklist. It's a part of "Life's Essential 8," a questionnaire that measures eight key areas to determine a person's cardiovascular health. The updated list was published Wednesday in Circulation, AHA's peer-reviewed journal, and replaced the association's "Life's Simple 7" questionnaire, which had been used since 2010. In addition to sleep, the new list retained the original categories: diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, body mass index, blood lipids, blood glucose and blood pressure. (Marples, 6/29)
Stat: Food Science Inspires New Approach To Treating Gut And Liver Injury
Inspired by how coffee shops foam milk, as well as gummy candy and sizzling Pop Rocks, researchers have designed three gas-trapping materials to deliver a low dose of carbon monoxide into the body to potentially treat gastrointestinal disorders. Carbon monoxide is fatal when inhaled at high concentrations, but the team’s results, published in Science Translational Medicine on Wednesday, showed that the three systems — using foam, a hydrogel, and a solid — can effectively deliver carbon monoxide in mice. The foam method was found to reduce tissue injury and inflammation in mouse models of chemically induced colitis, radiation-induced proctitis, and liver injury due to acetaminophen overdose, and also tested in pigs. (Muthukumar, 6/29)
NPR: Doctor's Experience In A Mid-Flight Emergency Opens Questions About Medical Kits
A couple of hours into her Delta Air Lines flight to Portugal earlier this month, Dr. Andrea Merrill heard the call to help a fellow passenger with a medical emergency. She approached the scene and was handed a red bag. "They told me it was the medical kit, and I opened it up to see what's in there because I've never been in a medical emergency before," Merrill said. What was in the kit surprised her. (Marquez Janse and Fox, 6/29)
And in updates on the spread of monkeypox —
AP: Health Officials: Michigan Has 1st Probable Monkeypox Case
Michigan’s first probable case of monkeypox has been identified in suburban Detroit, health officials said Wednesday. The case was identified in an Oakland County resident who is currently isolating and does not pose a risk to the public, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported. (6/30)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Monkeypox Cases Rise In Georgia, Small Number Of Vaccines Ordered
Georgia Public Health officials ordered a small number of a monkeypox vaccines for high-risk people as new cases of the virus continue to climb here and around the world. Federal health officials announced plans Tuesday to send several thousand vaccine doses from the federal government’s Strategic National Stockpile across the country for people who may have been exposed to the virus. (Oliviero, 6/29)
Bloomberg: Monkeypox Cases: NYC Says 62 People Presumed To Have Tested Positive
A total of 62 people in New York City are presumed to have tested positive for monkeypox. Most of the patients that have tested positive are experiencing mild illnesses that have not required hospitalization, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said on its website on Wednesday. (Sapienza, 6/29)
