Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Peloton Recalls, Halts Sales Of Treadmills Linked To Injuries
The Wall Street Journal: Peloton Recalls All Treadmills As CEO Apologizes
Peloton Interactive Inc. has agreed to recall its treadmills, and its chief executive apologized for the company’s initial refusal to comply with federal safety regulators who pushed for the action weeks ago. The exercise-equipment maker also said it was halting sales of its Tread+ treadmill model. “I want to be clear, Peloton made a mistake in our initial response to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s request that we recall the Tread+,” CEO John Foley said in a joint statement announcing the recall with the CPSC. “We should have engaged more productively with them from the outset.” (Terlep and Prang, 5/5)
In other public health news —
Fox News: E. Coli Sends 6 Children To Hospital In Washington State
An investigation is underway after seven children in Washington state were recently sickened with a toxin-producing E. coli, public health officials announced Wednesday. All seven children developed symptoms consistent with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli – also known as STEC. At least six had to be hospitalized, including one who is recovering after developing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a potentially lethal condition that affects the kidneys. A second child is also suspected to have HUS, which typically develops in 5% to 10% of those diagnosed with a STEC infection, according to King County Public Health. (Aaro, 5/6)
North Carolina Health News: HIV Cases In 2020 Rose While Testing Dropped
Even as vaccines temper the spread of the novel coronavirus in the United States, North Carolina advocates gathered to remind lawmakers that the country remains in the middle of another pandemic. The South is ground zero for new HIV cases within the United States, and the Tar Heel state is no exception. (Critchfield, 5/6)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Young Black Women At Greater Risk Of Heart Disease, Emory Study Shows
Young Black women have health conditions that may put them at greater risk to develop heart disease, according to a study released Tuesday by a team of Emory University researchers. The Emory team analyzed data from about 1,000 Black women of different age groups in the Atlanta area. The researchers partnered with large churches and civic organizations to find study participants. About 30% of the women studied had post-graduate degrees. The researchers found high rates of risk factors as early as their 20s. They found Black women younger than 40 were more likely to eat fast food and had above average salt intakes. The researchers also found higher blood pressure and body mass index rates among Black women they studied across all age ranges. (Stirgus, 5/6)
AP: San Francisco Women Stabbed Amid Wave Of Attacks On Asians
Two elderly Asian women were stabbed as they waited for a bus in downtown San Francisco — the latest in a series of attacks against Asian Americans nationwide since the start of the pandemic last year. A woman working at a flower stall Tuesday afternoon told KGO-TV that she saw a man walking on Market Street shortly before the attack carrying “a pretty big knife” with knuckles on the handle. “Her back was turned and all I see is feathers came out of her jacket. So I am very sure that she got sliced,” the witness said of one victim. “He walked away like nothing happened, like Sunday morning.” (5/6)
AP: Biologists Find Disease-Causing Fungus On New Mexico Bats
Federal land managers have confirmed that a disease-causing fungus has been found on hibernating bats in two eastern New Mexico caves. The Bureau of Land Management reported this week that the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome also was found on the walls of the caves during routine surveillance conducted last month in De Baca and Lincoln counties. ... Officials advised people to stay out of closed caves and mines and to decontaminate footwear and all cave gear before and after visiting or touring caves and other places where bats live. (5/5)
In updates on the opioid crisis —
Charleston Gazette-Mail: Witnesses Explain Eras Of US Opioid Crises At Third Day Of Trial
Witnesses in the Cabell County and Huntington opioid case accusing wholesalers of fueling the opioid crisis in the area explored at trial Wednesday the history behind the opioid crises in America to explain what led to the area becoming one of the hardest hit in the country. Historian David Courtwright said four major opioid epidemics in the United States were patched via stronger legislation. Dr. Rahul Gupta, former drug czar for the Mountain State who is being eyed for the same position in President Joe Biden’s administration, called West Virginia “a canary in the coal mine” as it continues to lead the nation in overdose rates and abuse. (Hessler, 5/5)
Axios: Lawmakers Seek COVID-19 Money For Opioid Treatment
A bipartisan trio of lawmakers is asking Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen for latitude to use some of the president’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus package for addressing the opioid crisis. The opioid crisis — America's other rampant public health emergency — appears to be getting even worse, likely exacerbated by the isolation and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Mucha, 5/5)
