Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Prolonged COVID Symptoms Persist In Pregnant Women
CIDRAP: Study Reveals Prolonged COVID-19 Symptoms In Pregnant Women
Most pregnant women with COVID-19 experience mild disease, but many have prolonged symptoms lasting weeks after infection, according to a large nationwide study yesterday in Obstetrics & Gynecology. Pregnant women have a higher risk of severe disease with other respiratory viruses, leading to concerns that COVID-19 infection during pregnancy may represent an increased risk. Recent reports show higher rates of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and ventilation among pregnant COVID-19 patients, but the clinical presentation and morbidity for pregnant patients is not fully understood. (10/8)
The Hill: Pregnancy Rates Hit New Lows For Women 24 And Younger, New Highs For Women 35 And Older: Study
Pregnancy rates among women aged 24 or younger hit record lows in 2016, while rates for women aged 35 and older reached new highs, according to a new analysis published Thursday by Guttmacher, a sexual and reproductive health research organization. Meanwhile, abortion rates have also declined for young people over the past 25 years, partially due to a decline in the number of people in that age group who became pregnant. (Hellmann, 10/8)
The Hill: Airbnb To Require Hosts To Adhere To Enhanced Cleaning Protocols Or Risk Being Booted Off The Platform
Home-sharing company Airbnb announced Thursday that its hosts will now be required to follow the company’s enhanced cleaning requirements in order to address safety concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic. The global company outlined its “Airbnb Enhanced Clean” standards on its website, which includes a “five-step process” based on “Airbnb’s cleaning handbook, which was developed in partnership with former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and backed by global health and hospitality experts.” (Castronuovo, 10/8)
Modern Healthcare: The Toll Pandemic Isolation Is Taking On The Nation's Elderly
Nursing homes have put in place some of the strictest safeguards to protect the nation's older population from COVID-19. But those regulations are taking a toll, creating a bigger chasm between residents and the outside world and their family, friends and loved ones. (Christ, 10/7)
In other public health news —
Cincinnati Enquirer: Study Involving UC Could Help ID Genetic Markers For Opioid Addiction
What if a doctor knew you were predisposed to opioid addiction? What if, then, the doctor could figure out a medical plan that would ease your pain without prescription painkillers? Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is betting that kind of knowledge would prevent some people from developing opioid use disorder in Ohio. On Thursday, he announced research conducted through his office's Scientific Committee on Opioid Prevention and Education that is trying to find genetic markers for the addiction disorder. (DeMio, 10/8)
The New York Times: People With This Mutation Can’t Smell Stinky Fish
Researchers in Iceland have identified a new mutant superpower — but the genetic trait probably won’t be granting anyone admission to the X-Men. A small contingent of the world’s population carries a mutation that makes them immune to the odious funk that wafts off fish, according to a study of some 11,000 people published Thursday in the journal Current Biology. The trait is rare, but potent: When faced with a synthetic odor that would put many people off their lunch, some test subjects smelled only the pleasant aroma of caramel, potato or rose. (Wu, 10/8)
NPR: Scientists Study The Long Term Health Effects Of Wildfire Smoke
In recent weeks, tens of millions of Americans have lived and breathed through a thick haze of wildfire smoke. In places, it lasted for weeks. The immediate health effects of that are well known to the medical community and anyone who's been exposed: Eyes sting, throats tighten, snot can turn black. Respiratory problems like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can be exacerbated, causing spikes in hospital visits. And recent research on the link between wildfire smoke and the flu, even suggests it could increase a person's risk of contracting COVID-19. (Rott, 10/9)
Bloomberg: A $1 Billion Bid To Save U.S. Affordable Housing
In the Covid-19 era, with construction of new affordable housing in the U.S. slowing to a crawl as a massive wave of housing instability looms, the scheme represents a potentially life-saving win. The Coggins Square deal is an example of a project financed through the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), an investment incentive program that has subsidized more than 3 million low-income housing units since its inception in 1986. (Capps, 10/7)
