Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Providers Say More People Seek Birth Control In Texas After Abortion Law
KHN: Texas Providers See Increased Interest In Birth Control Since Near-Total Abortion Ban
In September, when Texas’ near-total abortion ban took effect, Planned Parenthood clinics in the Lone Star State started offering every patient who walked in information on Senate Bill 8, as well as emergency contraception, condoms and two pregnancy tests. The plan is to distribute 22,000 “empowerment kits” this year. “We felt it was very important for patients to have as many tools on hand to help them meet this really onerous law,” said Elizabeth Cardwell, lead clinician at Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, which has 24 clinics across the northern and central regions of the state and provides care to tens of thousands of people annually. (Michell Gomez, 11/8)
AP: 3 Tennessee School Districts Land $4.6M Mental Health Grant
Tennessee officials say three school districts will receive more than $4.6 million in federal mental health program funding. The Tennessee Department of Education says Bledsoe County Schools, Haywood County Schools and Scott County Schools are receiving Project AWARE funding through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The project trains school workers and other adults in the community who interact with school-aged children on mental health and offers more services to students and parents. (11/8)
Tampa Bay Times: Kayaker Contracts Flesh-Eating Bacteria Climbing Tampa Dock, Lawsuit Says
A Tampa man says in a lawsuit that he became infected with flesh-eating bacteria after taking a spill from a kayak near the busy boat-rental area at the Tampa Convention Center. Robert Ray “Bob” Williams said he fell into the water in February because of a faulty seatback on the rental kayak and cut his feet on barnacles and oysters as he climbed from Garrison Channel onto a floating dock. The bacteria entered his body through the cuts and he required surgery to remove it, the lawsuit said. (Fiallo, 11/8)
The Boston Globe: Five Years Later, Legal Marijuana Remains Unfinished Business In Massachusetts
On Nov. 8, 2016, Massachusetts voters legalized marijuana, closing a door on more than a century of prohibition and opening one to an uncertain new era. In doing so, they brushed past gloomy prophecies from opponents — a spike in youth consumption, a rash of stoned driving accidents, ultra-conspicuous pot shops next to toy stores — and heeded arguments from legalization advocates that a tightly regulated cannabis market would be safer, fairer, and more lucrative for government coffers than the sprawling illicit one. (Adams, 11/7)
The Daily Yonder: ‘No Surprises’ Legislation Benefits Rural Residents Starting January 1
Imagine for a moment you are a rural teacher driving home on a wintery day. As you navigate the icy roads, your car runs off the road and into a ditch. A passing motorist sees the accident and calls 9-1-1. Unconscious, you aren’t aware what is happening. When the emergency medical crew shows up to treat you, there’s no one around to give consent for you. (11/6)
In covid news across the nation —
AP: Arizona Reports 3,000-Plus COVID Cases For 4th Day In A Row
Health officials in Arizona on Sunday reported over 3,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases for the fourth consecutive day. The state Department of Health Services’ coronavirus dashboard reported 3,231 additional cases but just one death. The latest numbers increased Arizona’s pandemic totals to 1,189,708 cases and 21,409 known deaths. State health officials had reported 3,352 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, then 3,813 more cases Friday and 3,592 additional cases Saturday. (11/7)
AP: Strict Mandate Takes Effect In LA. Business Patrons Must Show Proof Of Vaccination
LOS ANGELES — Yoga studio owner David Gross felt relieved after Los Angeles passed a vaccine mandate that is among the strictest in the country, a measure that took effect Monday that requires proof of shots for everyone entering a wide variety of businesses from restaurants to shopping malls and theaters to nail and hair salons. (11/8)
The New York Times: Two Spotted Hyenas At The Denver Zoo Are The First Known To Have Covid-19
Two spotted hyenas at the Denver Zoo have tested positive for the coronavirus, becoming the first known cases in the world among hyenas, zoo and veterinary services officials announced on Friday. The adult hyenas, 22-year-old Ngozi and 23-year-old Kibo, have so far exhibited mild symptoms of Covid, including “a little bit of coughing and sneezing,” and nasal discharge and lethargy, but they are believed to be “in good shape and improving,” Jake Kubié, a spokesman for the Denver Zoo, said on Saturday. (Manuel Ramos, 11/7)
The CT Mirror: CT's New Health Commissioner Confronts COVID And More As She Takes The Reigns
While completing her medical residency in Manhattan, Dr. Manisha Juthani kept circling back to a topic that stoked her passion for science and tapped into her inquisitive nature: infectious diseases. She still recalls the case of a young woman who came to New York-Presbyterian Hospital with what ultimately was diagnosed as typhoid fever and learning about the intricate process of tracing that transmission to a nearby fast food restaurant. “I figured out, through what I had heard from the public health department, that there were three different cases in the city. And they were all traced back to one fast food restaurant in Queens,” Juthani said. “They traced it back to one specific worker in that establishment. There are people who can be chronically colonized with salmonella typhi, and they just shed it all the time. And if it contaminates food, it can infect somebody else. It infected three other people that way.” (Carlesso, 11/7)
Lake County News-Sun: Lake County Health Officials Say Herd Immunity Against COVID Appears Attainable; ‘We’re Getting There, But We Don’t Want To Stop’
A pair of milestones in the effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic arrived this week in Lake County as children between the ages of 5 and 11 became eligible for vaccination against COVID-19, and 79.5% of people 12 and over have been fully vaccinated. Plans to vaccinate the newly eligible children in Lake County are currently shifting into full force as the goal of reaching herd immunity of 80% of the county’s entire population looks attainable. “We’re definitely getting there, but a whole new bunch of people are now eligible so our percentage will go down,” Mark Pfister, executive director of the Lake County health department, said Friday. (Sadin, 11/7)
