Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Real Water' Products Withdrawn In Nevada Over Liver Failure Worries
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Real Water Pulled From Stores As More Nevadans Report Illnesses
In the wake of a recent civil lawsuit against the Las Vegas-based company and an announcement of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigation into Real Water after reported liver illness in children, more Nevadans have stepped forward with concerns about the product. Attorney Will Kemp, who filed suit Tuesday on behalf of one family, said Thursday that he was fielding dozens of calls and interviewing potential clients, including one who underwent a liver transplant. Late Thursday, his firm Kemp Jones, LLP filed a second lawsuit on behalf of a Nevada father of two who drank Real Water and suffered “acute liver failure and was informed that he was a candidate for an immediate liver transplant.” (Ferrara, 3/18)
In other public health news —
CBS News: Popular Flea Collar May Be Linked To Nearly 1,700 Pet Deaths
Members of Congress are demanding one of the largest single product recalls in U.S. history after a top-selling flea and tick collar was linked to the deaths of nearly 1,700 pets and hundreds of injuries to humans. "When we put the collar on, everything changed and was like a switch just flipped," Alex Jaeger said. Alex Jaeger and his mother, Eleanor, say two months after they put a Seresto collar on their golden retriever Blake, he developed seizures. They say their veterinarian gave Blake epilepsy medication, but the dog has never been the same. (3/18)
USA Today: Germs Spread 10 Times Faster With High-Speed Hand Dryers, Study Finds
Hand-washing always has been important, and the pandemic further magnified its crucial role in helping stop the spread of germs. But a new study also suggests the method used for drying hands can be just as important to public health. The use of high-speed hand dryers can transfer germs to a person's clothing and lead to an increase in spreading those contaminants to other surfaces, according to the pilot study published Wednesday in "Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology." (Barnes, 3/17)
The Washington Post: Which Fruits And Vegetables Don’t Count Toward Your ‘5 A Day’? New Study Has Answers.
A new study backs up the long-standing nutritional guideline that consuming five daily servings of a variety of fruits and vegetables, from apples to zucchini, can help you live longer. But if you consider fruit juice or french fries among those servings, you may have to rethink your diet. “People who eat five servings of vegetables and fruit daily have 13 percent lower risk of all-cause death compared to people who eat two servings of fruit and vegetables per day,” says Dong Wang, a faculty member at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and one of the study’s researchers. (Rosenbloom, 3/18)
Axios: The Pandemic's Unexpected Privacy Pitfalls
Americans' rush to move all aspects of their lives online during the pandemic — classes, meetings, legal proceedings, shopping and more — left many vulnerable to exposure, exploitation and fraud. The digital environment wasn't always ready to deal with newcomers' privacy and security needs. And the people responsible for managing these activities couldn't foresee all the pitfalls of moving online. (Gold, 3/19)
KHN: Doctors Found Jet Fuel In Veteran’s Lungs. He Can’t Get Full Benefits
The lungs Bill Thompson was born with told a gruesome, harrowing and unmistakable tale to Dr. Anthony Szema when he analyzed them and found the black spots, scarring, partially combusted jet fuel and metal inside. The retired Army staff sergeant had suffered catastrophic lung damage from breathing incinerated waste burned in massive open-air pits and probably other irritants during his tour of duty in Iraq. (McAuliff, 3/19)
Also —
The New York Times: Child Dies In Accident Involving Peloton Treadmill
An accident involving a Peloton treadmill has left a child dead, the company’s chief executive announced on Thursday. In a letter posted on the company’s website, John Foley, Peloton’s C.E.O. and a co-founder, said that the company, known for its wildly popular interactive stationary bikes, had recently learned of the fatal accident and was aware of “a small handful of incidents” involving children hurt by its Tread+ treadmill. (Waller, 3/18)
