Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Social Distancing Around The World Pushes Flu Rates To Record Low
Reuters: Seasonal Flu Reports Hit Record Lows Amid Global Social Distancing
Global social distancing rules targeting coronavirus have pushed influenza infection rates to a record low, early figures show, signalling that the measures are having an unprecedented impact on other communicable diseases. In China, where the earliest wide-scale lockdown measures began, new reports of diseases including mumps, measles and some sexually transmitted diseases, have declined significantly, though influenza cases have seen the sharpest drop off. (Cadell, 7/31)
The Wall Street Journal: In Lawsuit, More Than 50 Former University Of Michigan Students Say Doctor Sexually Abused Them
Former University of Michigan students, including more than two dozen football players, filed a lawsuit against the school on Thursday, alleging a prominent team doctor sexually abused them during physical exams while coaches and administrators turned a blind eye. The 53 plaintiffs allege that Dr. Robert Anderson, who worked at the school for nearly 40 years until 2003, molested them and that the behavior was reported to famed football coach Bo Schembechler and athletic director Don Canham, among others. (Belkin, 7/30)
The New York Times: Aboard The Diamond Princess, A Case Study In Aerosol Transmission
In a year of endless viral outbreaks, the details of the Diamond Princess tragedy seem like ancient history. On Jan. 20, one infected passenger boarded the cruise ship; a month later, more than 700 of the 3,711 passengers and crew members had tested positive, with many falling seriously ill. The invader moved as swiftly and invisibly as the perpetrators on Agatha Christie’s Orient Express, leaving doctors and health officials with only fragmentary evidence to sift through. Ever since, scientists have tried to pin down exactly how the coronavirus spread throughout the ship. And for good reason: The Diamond Princess’ outbreak remains perhaps the most valuable case study available of coronavirus transmission — an experiment-in-a-bottle, rich in data, as well as a dark warning for what was to come in much of the world. (Carey and Glanz, 7/30)
ABC News: Ventilation Systems Can Change Spread Of Potential Viral Particles Indoors: Study
A new study at the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering showed ventilation systems can change the spread of aerosolized and potentially virus-containing particles in common indoor areas. The study looked at results in an elevator, a supermarket and a classroom. (Carrington and Salzman, 7/30)
ABC News: As Temperatures Rise With Coronavirus Cases, Experts Eye Impact Of Air Conditioning
As the summer heat and new cases of the novel coronavirus continue to surge in much of the country, scientists are warily watching what potential impact retreating into air conditioned spaces may be having on the further spread of the virus. Under normal circumstances, health care professionals encourage the public to seek refuge from high temperatures in the comfort of an air-conditioned space. But these are hardly normal circumstances. (Bhatt and Bruggeman, 7/31)
AP: MLB Postpones Blue Jays-Phillies Series After More Positives
Major League Baseball has postponed this weekend’s scheduled series between Toronto and Philadelphia because of concerns about the coronavirus after two Phillies staffers tested positive. “Major League Baseball will coordinate with health experts and the Major League Baseball Players Association in planning for the Phillies’ resumption of play, and will provide further scheduling updates as necessary,” the league said in a statement Thursday. (Seiner, 7/30)
GMA: Baby In NICU Sees Parents' Faces For 1st Time Thanks To Innovative Masks
When Aria Mason first laid eyes on her baby girl three days after giving birth prematurely, she couldn't help breaking out in song. "I was wondering if she'd know I was her mom, we didn't have that moment at delivery," Mason explained. "She took my hand once I started and her pulse evened out, other vital signs came up instantly. That meant the world to me." (Brooksbank, 7/31)
The Washington Post: An Infant Died After Her Mother Drank Beer And They Shared A Bed. Maryland’s Highest Court Said It Wasn’t A Crime.
The Maryland woman had just wrapped up a virtual happy hour on Facebook, drinking a couple of beers on the porch while her infant daughter and 4-year-old slept. She changed the baby’s diaper, pumped breastmilk, took out the trash and locked the doors before climbing into bed next to her baby girl. By morning, Muriel Morrison’s daughter was listless, her lips blue. Morrison was charged and convicted by a jury in the co-sleeping death of her infant, who suffocated while she slept beside her mother.Maryland’s highest court this week threw out Morrison’s 2013 conviction and 20-year sentence. ... The judges were not prepared to criminalize co-sleeping in the same bed as an infant. (Marimow, 7/30)
In news on the West Nile virus —
The Hill: Austin Identifies Area's First 'Probable Human Case' Of West Nile In Two Years
Health officials in Austin, Texas, on Thursday identified the area's first "probable human case" of West Nile virus since 2018. The Texas Department of State Health Services had last week announced the state's first human West Nile case, in Travis County.Austin Public Health (APH) said in a press release that it's the first time in two years the department has found mosquitoes carrying the virus in Travis County. (Deese, 7/30)
