Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
States Face Rising Drug Overdose Numbers During The Pandemic
Axios: More States Are Battling An Increase In Drug Overdoses During The Pandemic
States and cities are facing a rising number of drug overdoses that health officials say have increased during the coronavirus pandemic. Roughly 81,000 people died from a drug overdose between June 2019 and May 2020, the highest number ever recorded in a 12-month period, according to provisional data in the CDC's December report. (Rummier, 3/14)
The Washington Post: Fewer Smokers Seem To Be Trying To Quit During Pandemic, Report Finds
Several health-related organizations held a news conference Friday to raise alarm about the significant effect the coronavirus pandemic is having on Americans’ efforts to quit smoking. Smoking is one of the underlying medical conditions that could increase people’s risk of developing severe cases of covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, some states, such as New Jersey, are prioritizing smokers among those eligible to receive coronavirus vaccines. (Chiu, 3/12)
In other public health news —
CIDRAP: Half Of COVID Survivors Note Lingering Signs Of Depression
More than half of a sample of US COVID-19 survivors reported symptoms of major depressive disorder months after recovery, a research letter today in JAMA Network Open reports. A team led by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University analyzed internet-based nonprobability survey and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) responses from 82,319 adult coronavirus survivors delivered in eight waves from June 2020 to January 2021. (Van Beusekom, 3/12)
Today: How To Get Over Fear Of Needles Before Getting COVID-19 Shot
One of the most common treatments for trypanophobia, which is the medical term for extreme fear of needles or injections, is exposure therapy. That's exactly what it sounds like: being exposed to the phobia — in this case, needles — over and over again. "We may start out with cartoons or pictures and then work up to something a little more live action, maybe someone sticking a syringe into an orange," said Cheryl Carmin, Ph.D., the director of clinical psychology training at The Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. (Murray, 3/12)
KHN: A Year Into The Pandemic, Three Huge Losses In One Family
In the year since the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic, millions of families have endured the excruciating rise and fall of the U.S. outbreak — waves of sickness that leave untold wounds long after hospitalizations ebb and infections subside. Some have borne the tragedy more than others, with multiple family members lost to covid-19 in a matter of months. (Stone, 3/15)
Axios: America's Unequal Return To Classrooms
Most American kids have returned to some form of in-person school by now — but low-income school districts are paying a higher price for it. Preparing for testing, infrastructure improvements and distancing has cost school districts tens of millions of dollars. And poorer districts have had to freeze hiring and cut entire programs to make it work. (Pandey and Nather, 3/15)
