Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Social Media Monitoring Companies Say They're Preventing Student Suicides, Shootings. But There's Little Evidence Their Algorithms Work.
The New York Times: These Firms Say They Can Help Prevent School Shootings And Suicides. Do They?
Hours after the deadly school shooting in Parkland, Fla., companies that market their services to schools began to speak up. “Governor, take pride that a Vermont-based company is helping schools identify the violence before it happens,” one company wrote on Twitter to Gov. Phil Scott of Vermont. The chief executive of another company appeared on the news to boast of a “home run”: Its algorithms, he said, had helped prevent two student suicides. (Leibowitz, 9/6)
Stat: Patients In Landmark Genome-Editing Trial Show Improvement — But Questions Linger
Two patients with a rare inherited disease are showing early signs of improvement after being injected with a groundbreaking genome-editing fix from Sangamo Therapeutics. That’s the encouraging news emphasized by the biotech on Wednesday from its latest clinical trial, the first in which gene-editing is being used in patients to try to repair disease-causing DNA. But Sangamo is simultaneously downplaying other results from the study that are more confounding and may give outsiders reason to be concerned. (Feuerstein, 9/5)
Stat: Researchers To Release First-Ever Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes In Africa
The government of Burkina Faso granted scientists permission to release genetically engineered mosquitoes anytime this year or next, researchers announced Wednesday. It’s a key step in the broader efforts to use bioengineering to eliminate malaria in the region. The release, which scientists are hoping to execute this month, will be the first time that any genetically engineered animal is released into the wild in Africa. While these particular mosquitoes won’t have any mutations related to malaria transmission, researchers are hoping their release, and the work that led up to it, will help improve the perception of the research and trust in the science among regulators and locals alike. It will also inform future releases. (Swetlitz, 9/5)
The Wall Street Journal: Schools Across The U.S. Find Elevated Lead Levels In Drinking Water
Schools in multiple states are tearing out water fountains and old faucets after finding elevated levels of lead in their drinking water. Indiana tested 915 schools in recent months and found that 61% had one or more fixtures with elevated lead levels. Schools in Colorado and Florida, among others, are taking steps to address lead in drinking water. (Maher, 9/5)
The Wall Street Journal: Bayer Says More Americans Are Alleging Monsanto Weedkillers Cause Cancer
Bayer AG said the number of American plaintiffs alleging its recently acquired weedkillers cause cancer has risen sharply, adding to concerns about potentially lengthy and costly litigation stemming from its acquisition of Monsanto. The German chemicals company on Wednesday also lowered its full-year earnings outlook because of delays in closing its $63 billion purchase of Monsanto, which included a portfolio of herbicides that contain glyphosate, notably flagship product Roundup. (Bender, 9/5)
Kaiser Health News: Avoidable Sepsis Infections Send Thousands Of Seniors To Gruesome Deaths
Shana Dorsey first caught sight of the purplish wound on her father’s lower back as he lay in a suburban Chicago hospital bed a few weeks before his death. Her father, Willie Jackson, had grimaced as nursing aides turned his frail body, exposing the deep skin ulcer, also known as a pressure sore or bedsore. “That was truly the first time I saw how much pain my dad was in,” Dorsey said. (Schulte, Lucas and Mahr, 9/5)
WBUR: What Kills 5 Million People A Year? It's Not Just Disease
A new report published in The Lancet on Wednesday finds that when it comes to health, quality — not quantity — seems to be more important. The study estimates that 5 million people die every year because of poor-quality health care in low- and middle-income countries. That's significantly more than the 3.6 million people in those countries who die from not having access to care. (Schreiber, 9/5)
The New York Times: Airport Security Trays Carry More Cold Germs Than Toilets, Study Finds
Airport security is there to protect you, but it may also give you the sniffles — or worse. To all the places and surfaces we’ve been warned are teeming with germs or bacteria — your pets, the subway seat, airplane cabins, the A.T.M. — add the airport security tray. (Karasz, 9/5)
NPR: Germ-Eating Microbes Might Be Another Way To Fight Antibiotic Resistance
Here's a bold idea to fight back against bacteria that can't be stopped by antibiotics: Go after them with germ-eating microbes. That reasoning lies behind an intriguing line of research that might also be put to use in the event of a germ-warfare attack. It might seem strange to think of microbe-eating microbes, but "actually they're found in almost every ecosystem on Earth," says Brad Ringeisen, deputy director of the Biological Technologies Office at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). (Harris, 9/6)
Politico: Pulse Check At Work: Home Health Aides
Home health aide is one of the fastest-growing jobs in America – and the first job the Pulse Check podcast explores in a month-long series that will explain how different health care workers fit into the broader health policy picture. The show will visit with a home health aide, a health coach, and others as we explain how the big trends in the field feel on the front lines. (Diamond, 9/5)
Kaiser Health News: Assisted Living Kicks Out The Frail ’Cause ‘We Can’t Take Care Of You Any Longer’
The phone call came as a shock. Your aunt can’t transfer into memory care; we have to discharge her from this facility, a nurse told Jeff Regan. You have 30 days to move her out. The next day, a legal notice was delivered. Marilou Jones, 94, who has dementia, was being evicted from Atria at Foster Square, an assisted living facility in Foster City, Calif. The reason: “You are non-weight bearing and require the assistance of two staff members for all transfers,” the notice said. (Graham, 9/6)
