Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Studies Examine Monkeypox Virus Prevalence On Skin, Body Parts
CIDRAP: Studies Detail Monkeypox Transmission Risks
A study of almost 400 samples taken from men with monkeypox reveals a high prevalence of the virus on skin, throat, and anus swabs compared to in blood or urine—with detections in semen in the midrange—and high viral loads in skin and anal swabs. Two other new studies detail transmission risk in a tattoo parlor and in healthcare settings, and in US news, officials report a monkeypox-related death in Ohio. (Soucheray, 9/30)
CNN: US Monkeypox Deaths Are Rare, But Here's Why They Can Be Difficult To Confirm
There have been more than 25,000 monkeypox cases in the United States during the current outbreak, and deaths among monkeypox patients are rare. Among the few reported, it has sometimes been difficult to determine the role monkeypox played in the deaths. “It’s sort of the old situation we had with Covid: Did you die of Covid, or did you die with Covid? And so this is the same scenario: Did you die with monkeypox, or did you die of monkeypox?” said Lori Tremmel Freeman, chief executive officer of the National Association of County and City Health Officials. (Howard, 10/3)
In other health and wellness news —
CBS News: Listeria Outbreak Linked To Cheese Sold By Safeway, Whole Foods And Other Grocery Chains
Friday's recall by Benton Harbor, Michigan-based Old Europe Cheese involves all of its Brie and Camembert products with "best by" dates through December 14, 2022, the company stated in a notice posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (See here for a detailed list of the recalled products, which involve more than 20 brands.) (Gibson, 9/30)
KHN: Severe Sleep Apnea Diagnosis Panics Reporter Until He Finds A Simple, No-Cost Solution
I woke up in a strange bedroom with 24 electrodes glued all over my body and a plastic mask attached to a hose covering my face. The lab technician who watched me all night via video feed told me that I had “wicked sleep apnea” and that it was “central sleep apnea” — a type that originates in the brain and fails to tell the muscles to inhale. As a journalist — and one terrified by the diagnosis — I set out to do my own research. After a few weeks of sleuthing and interviewing experts, I reached two important conclusions. (Hancock, 10/3)
AP: Occupant's Phone Alerts Responders To Car Crash That Killed 6 In Their 20s
A passenger's cellphone automatically alerted responders after a car hit a tree early Sunday in a Nebraska crash that killed all six of the car's young occupants, authorities said. (10/3)
