Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Study: 1 In 6 Adults Developed Peanut Allergies After Age 18
Fox News: Many First Report Peanut Allergy Symptoms In Adulthood, Study Finds
While a peanut allergy is commonly associated with pediatric care, a new study has found that up to one in six adults with sensitivity to peanuts developed it after age 18. The report, put forth by Northwestern University researchers in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, found that 2.9% of U.S. adults report a current peanut allergy, but only 1.8% report a physician-diagnosed allergy and or history of reaction symptoms. Additionally, among this group, two in three adults have at least one other food allergy such as tree nuts or shellfish. Researchers say the lack of physician-diagnosed allergy is concerning as that means patients do not have a current epinephrine prescription, possibly leaving them susceptible to severe reactions without having potentially life-saving treatment on hand. (Hein, 2/9)
In other public health news —
AP: In Pandemic, More People Choose To Die At Home
Across the country, terminally ill patients — both with COVID-19 and other diseases — are making similar decisions and dying at home rather than face the terrifying scenario of saying farewell to loved ones behind glass or during video calls. “What we are seeing with COVID is certainly patients want to stay at home,” said Judi Lund Person, the vice president for regulatory compliance at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. “They don’t want to go to the hospital. They don’t want to go to a nursing home.” National hospice organizations are reporting that facilities are seeing double-digit percentage increases in the number of patients being cared for at home. (Hollingsworth, 2/7)
The New York Times: How To Help When Adolescents Have Suicidal Thoughts
With some evidence suggesting that more adolescents have been reporting suicidal thoughts during the pandemic, experts and parents are looking for ways to help. One issue is that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not yet compiled and released statistics on suicide deaths, so it’s not clear whether the problem is worse than usual. But there are questions about whether suicide risks are increasing — especially in particular communities, like the Black and brown populations that have been hit hardest by the pandemic. (Klass, 2/6)
KHN: Pandemic-Fueled Alcohol Abuse Creates Wave Of Hospitalizations For Liver Disease
As the pandemic sends thousands of recovering alcoholics into relapse, hospitals across the country have reported dramatic increases in alcohol-related admissions for critical diseases like alcoholic hepatitis and liver failure. Alcoholism-related liver disease was a growing problem even before the pandemic, with 15 million people diagnosed with the condition around the country, and with hospitalizations doubling over the past decade. (Cahan, 2/10)
