Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Reaching Out To Isolated Seniors: Total Strangers Can Brighten Their Day With Weekly Phone Calls
The Associated Press: Just A Chat: Calls Offered For Older Adults Staying Home
For 81-year-old Dell Kaplan, the offer to get calls from a stranger just to chat while staying home during the coronavirus pandemic was immediately appealing. “It gets pretty lonely here by yourself,” said Kaplan, a suburban Dallas resident who has been missing meals out with friends, family get-togethers and going to classes at a nearby college. The program being offered by the city of Plano is among those that have popped up across the U.S. during the pandemic to help older adults with a simple offer to engage in small talk. (Stengle, 5/18)
NPR: For Some LGBTQ College Students, Sheltering At Home With Family Can Be Traumatic
Staying home and sheltering in place can be stressful for everyone. But for some college students who identify as LGBTQ, returning to family environments can be very difficult and even psychologically damaging, psychologists say. "A lot of young people when they make it to college are able, for the first time, really, to live their truth," says psychologist Megan Mooney who works with children, teens and young people and specializes in preventing and treating trauma in LGBTQ youth. Mooney is also President of the Texas Psychological Association. (Neighmond, 5/17)
The Wall Street Journal: As Coronavirus Limits Funeral Attendance, Demand Surges For Flower Delivery
Geoff Levenberg’s Cleveland-based flower-delivery business is booming, but the reason is tragic. Demand for funeral bouquets and wreaths has surged as people succumb to Covid-19. Mr. Levenberg’s business, Allyson’s Flowers, is serving an important role during the pandemic. Bereaved family members and friends can’t attend funerals because of restrictions on public gatherings in many states, so they increasingly send flowers as a way to show their love. Funerals usually make up 80% of Mr. Levenberg’s business. Lately, the proportion has been closer to 95%. (Monga, 5/18)
NBC News: It's Hard To Flee From Your Domestic Abuser During A Coronavirus Lockdown
When the stay-at-home order went into effect in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, C. realized her plan to leave her abusive husband had just been sped up. Her two teenage children would suddenly be home to witness the violence. "My kids were home from school and they were going to see this," said C., who asked that her full name not be used to protect her privacy. "They knew how controlling he was, but knowing that they would be home — we didn't make it two weeks into our stay-at-home order." (Kaplan and Wong, 5/17)
ABC News: Law Enforcement Groups Urge Mental Health Awareness Amid Coronavirus
Officer Charles "Rob" Roberts, a 20-year veteran of the Glen Ridge Police Department in New Jersey, died from COVID-19 on Monday. The department says Roberts contracted the virus in April while on the job. After nearly three weeks in the hospital, he became one of the latest officers of more than 100 to die from COVID-19, according to an analysis of reported coronavirus deaths compiled by the Fraternal Order of Police. Experts say police officers not only have to deal with death in their ranks but also the lasting trauma from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic (Barr, 5/15)
CNN: This Is What Students Really Lose When They Lose Their Educators To Coronavirus
When Hagan Carlin learned her assistant principal Joe Lewinger had died of coronavirus, she couldn't fall asleep until four in the morning. The 17-year-old junior at The Mary Louis Academy in Queens, New York, told CNN she cried much of the night -- and when she wasn't crying, she was stunned. She didn't know what school would look like without the goofball who felt like a dad to everyone. She didn't know who would stop students in the halls to ask what was wrong and how he could fix it. She didn't know who would send those inspirational emails and endless surveys. (Holcombe, 5/18)
The Wall Street Journal: When It’s Time To Go Back To The Office, Will It Still Be There?
Someday the coronavirus pandemic will release its grip on our lives and we will return to the workplace. The question is: Will there be an office to go back to when this is all over? The changes the business world is considering offer a radical rethinking of a place that is central to corporate life. There will likely be fewer offices in the center of big cities, more hybrid schedules that allow workers to stay home part of the week and more elbow room as companies free up space for social distancing. Smaller satellite offices could also pop up in less-expensive locations as the workforce becomes less centralized. (Mattioli and Putzier, 5/16)
