Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Police Could Have Saved George Floyd, Lung Expert Testifies
AP: Lung Expert: Officers Could Have Saved George Floyd's Life
George Floyd could have been saved if Minneapolis police officers had moved him into a position to breathe more easily, and his chances of survival “doubled or tripled” if they had performed CPR as soon as his heart stopped, a lung specialist testified Monday at the trial of three former officers charged with violating Floyd’s civil rights. Floyd died because his upper airway was compressed by Officer Derek Chauvin’s knee, while his position on hard asphalt with his hands cuffed behind his back — as two other officers helped hold him down — did not allow his lungs to expand, Dr. David Systrom said. (Karnowski and Webber, 2/7)
In environmental health news —
Bloomberg: U.S. Fertilizer Plant Fire Leaks Harmful Chemicals Into Nearby Creeks
A North Carolina fertilizer plant that was engulfed in flames last week and put Winston-Salem at risk of a devastating explosion is now putting local waterways at risk. Winston-Salem is warning residents to stay out of creeks around Winston Weaver Co.’s fertilizer plant because runoff from the plant fire has caused elevated levels of nitrates, nitrites, ammonia nitrogen and other potentially harmful chemicals in the waterways, the city said on its Facebook page. (Elkin, 2/7)
The New York Times: ‘Errors’ At Treatment Plant Force 1 Million In Austin To Boil Their Water
Roughly one million people in Austin have had to boil their water since Saturday after officials said “errors” at a treatment plant resulted in potentially unsafe water flowing into homes and businesses in one of the largest and fastest-growing American cities. It was the second time in a year that residents of the Texas capital have been told to boil water before drinking. Last February, the problems were caused by the collapse of the state’s electricity grid, which resulted in power failures at Austin’s largest water treatment plant. (Sandoval and Goodman, 2/7)
AP: Spending Bill Has $403M For Leaky Hawaii Fuel Tank Facility
Hawaii members of Congress said Monday a spending bill that must pass to avoid a government shutdown includes $403 million to address the crisis caused by the leaking of petroleum from a Navy fuel storage tank facility into Pearl Harbor drinking water. The money incorporates $100 million to drain fuel from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility. It also directs the Defense Department to comply with an emergency order from the state of Hawaii to defuel the tanks. The military last week appealed Hawaii’s order in both state and federal court. (McAvoy, 2/8)
In other public health news —
CNN: Over 40% Of People Using Alcohol Or Cannabis Drove Under The Influence, Study Says
More than 40% of drivers reporting alcohol and cannabis use in a national survey also reported driving under the influence of one or both of the substances, a new study found. "Alcohol and cannabis are two of the most common substances involved in impaired driving and motor vehicle crashes" in the United States, said Priscila Dib Gonçalves, the study's first author, in a news release. Gonçalves is a postdoctoral research fellow in the epidemiology department at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. (Rogers, 2/8)
CNN: Cut Nearly 300 Calories A Day By Doing Something You Already Do
Want to lose weight from sleeping? Try extending your sleep time so you are not sleep deprived. That's the startling outcome of a randomized trial that asked young, overweight adults who typically slept less than six and a half hours to try to sleep about eight and a half hours a night for two weeks. At the end of that short amount of time, many of those who did extend their sleep to a healthier length decreased their calorie intake by an average of 270 calories a day, according to the study published Monday in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. Some of the study participants cut their intake by 500 calories each day, the study found. (LaMotte, 2/7)
Modern Healthcare: Black Women Overwhelmingly Work In Low-Wage, High-Risk Healthcare Jobs
Healthcare entities employ more Black women than any other industry and have a crucial part to play in undoing racial and gender inequities, according to research from the University of Minnesota and the University of Massachusetts. Historical gender norms and the legacy of slavery contribute to women, especially Black women, working a disproportionate share of caretaking jobs, the researchers wrote. White women are more likely to fill public-facing positions such as nursing, teaching or social work, while women of color are more likely to work behind the scenes in jobs such as aides, cleaners or cooks according to the study. (Hartnett, 2/7)
The Washington Post: IRS Abandons Facial Recognition Plan After Firestorm Of Criticism
The Internal Revenue Service has abandoned its plan to require millions of Americans to submit to a facial recognition check through a private company to access their online tax accounts following a firestorm of criticism from privacy advocates and members of Congress. The IRS said Monday it would “transition away” from using a face-scanning service offered by the company ID.me in the coming weeks and would develop an additional authentication process that does not involve facial recognition. (Harwell, 2/7)
