Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Preventive Care Data: Use Lags Behind 2019
The Hill: Preventive Care Use Has Declined Significantly Amid COVID-19 Without Major Rebound
The use of preventive care early in the coronavirus pandemic declined significantly and has not resumed despite the reopening of medical offices, according to a new analysis. Childhood vaccinations dropped 60 percent in April at the height of the pandemic compared to 2019 levels and by June were still down close to 30 percent, according to the nonprofit Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI). Mammograms and Pap smears were down nearly 80 percent in April and by June were down nearly a quarter from 2019. (Weixel, 9/11)
AP: Poll: Pandemic Takes Toll On Mental Health Of Young Adults
The coronavirus pandemic has taken a harsh toll on the mental health of young Americans, according to a new poll that finds adults under 35 especially likely to report negative feelings or experience physical or emotional symptoms associated with stress and anxiety. A majority of Americans ages 18 through 34 — 56% — say they have at least sometimes felt isolated in the past month, compared with about 4 in 10 older Americans, according to the latest COVID Response Tracking Study conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago. Twenty-five percent of young adults rate their mental health as fair or poor, compared with 13% of older adults, while 56% of older adults say their mental health is excellent or very good, compared with just 39% of young adults. (Mumphrey and Sincol Kelleher, 9/11)
The Wall Street Journal: Is It OK To Reveal Your Anxiety Or Depression To Your Boss?
Workers everywhere are having a tough time. Should they ask for help on the job? The share of adults reporting symptoms of anxiety or depression ballooned during the pandemic, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, rising to 40.9% by mid-July. A similar national survey from the first half of 2019 put that number at 11%. For many, 2020 has ushered in fears of falling sick and losing a job, tension over the coming election and racial inequality, and a feeling of being overwhelmed by an untenable work-life juggle. (Feintzeig, 9/13)
CNN: Sex Gets Complicated During The Pandemic
When the pandemic hit, couples found themselves worrying about getting sick, losing income, teaching their children at home while working full time (or worrying full time about sending them to school). It hardly makes a perfect recipe for sex. (Ward, 9/14)
NPR: Redesigning The Office To Maximize Health
Office designers are scrambling now to try to get more members of the workforce safely back to their desks. Clear plastic sneeze guards have become familiar, as have floors taped off at 6-foot increments. But by 2025 or so, after the immediate threat of the coronavirus has likely passed, which short-term fixes will be part of the new normal? And what other design changes could be coming our way? While the scale of the current pandemic is new, the need for architects to prioritize human health is not, says Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg, director of the Institute for Health in the Built Environment. "We've designed buildings for 100-year floods," he says. "Now we have to learn to design for the 100-year flu." (Vaughn, 9/14)
In other public health news —
Yahoo News: Hilary Swank Sues After She's Denied Coverage For Ovarian Cysts
Hilary Swank is suing the SAG-AFTRA health plan after she was denied coverage for the treatment of ovarian cysts. The Oscar-winning actress spoke out about her decision, slamming the “antiquated” policies that view “the role of women’s organs solely as a means for procreation.”“I’m truly exhausted by the way women’s ovarian and cyclical health issues continue to be treated by healthcare insurance companies,” the 46-year-old actress began. “I have experienced it in my own life, and I continually read about it across social media and in the press.” (Ryder, 9/10)
PBS NewsHour: 1 In 10 Americans Don’t Have Enough Food. The Pandemic Is Making Things Worse
Tens of millions of Americans were already wrestling with having enough food to eat before the coronavirus came along. Enter a pandemic that launched an historic recession and experts say that need has only grown. (Santhanam, 9/11)
