Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Postmortem Finds Former NFL Player Demaryius Thomas Suffered CTE
The Washington Post: Demaryius Thomas Diagnosed With Stage 2 CTE In Posthumous Brain Study
Former NFL star Demaryius Thomas was diagnosed with Stage 2 chronic traumatic encephalopathy, his family said in a statement Tuesday, after doctors at Boston University’s CTE Center studied the former wide receiver’s brain. Thomas was found dead at 33 in December at his home in Roswell, Ga., and while the cause of death has not been determined by the coroner’s office in Fulton County, Ga., his family has attributed his death to seizures, which he suffered following a 2019 car crash. (Hill, 7/5)
The Hill: Dez Bryant On Demaryius Thomas: ‘A Lot Of Us Living With CTE And The NFL Know It’
NFL wide receiver Dez Bryant on Tuesday said many professional football players are living with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) but are afraid to speak out about their symptoms. ... “DT88 my heart weak bro… it’s a lot of us living with CTE and the NFL know it…most importantly the Athletes who have those symptoms are scared to speak,” Bryant, who spent eight seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, wrote in a tweet on Tuesday. “1 thing about me ain’t living no false life…my love and support for athletes are on a much deeper level than most.” (Oshin, 7/5)
In other health and wellness news —
The Washington Post: Behavioral Issues, Absenteeism At Schools Increase, Federal Data Shows
More than 80 percent of public schools reported that the pandemic has taken a toll on student behavior and social-emotional development, while nearly as many schools say they need more mental health support, according to federal data released Wednesday. (St. George, 7/5)
ABC News: Many Black Children Are Dying By Suicide, Doctors Say: Understanding The Why -- And How To Help
Quintin Lamarr first began having thoughts of suicide when he was around 16 years old. Now 26 and an advocate and volunteer with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Lamarr told ABC News that about a year and a half of those suicidal thoughts culminated in a mental health crisis that led to his hospitalization. During that time, he said, he was dealing with continued grief over the death of his father along with more recent bullying he faced as a gay Black teenager growing up in Milwaukee. (Livingston, 7/6)
Fox News: NY Elementary School Student, Age 7, Saves Choking Classmate With Heimlich Manuever
A 7-year-old elementary school student is being hailed a hero after he saved his classmate’s life during lunch by using the Heimlich maneuver. David Diaz Jr., a second-grader from Woodrow Wilson Elementary in Binghamton, New York, stepped into action when he noticed his friend had begun choking on pizza at school. He said he learned the life-saving move from "The Good Doctor," a TV medical drama he’d been watching with his father, David Diaz Sr., during the last year. (Moore, 7/6)
Los Angeles Times: Poor Air Quality Lingering In L.A. After July 4 Firework Shows
Air quality dropped considerably after hundreds of Fourth of July firework shows and smaller sets lighted up skies across the Los Angeles region Monday and remained at unhealthy levels into Tuesday morning for many areas. (Toohey, 7/5)
The Washington Post: Acupuncture Could Reduce Tension Headaches By Half
People who have chronic tension headaches might be able to reduce the frequency of those headaches by as much as 50 percent with acupuncture, according to research published in the journal Neurology. Tension headaches, which are the most common type, are sometimes described as feeling pressure as if you had a tight band around your head. They are considered chronic if they regularly occur at least 15 days a month. (Searing, 7/5)
