Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Study: Simple Blood Tests Can Predict Brain Trauma Severity
Stat: Blood Tests Can Predict Severe Brain-Injury Outcomes, Study Shows
Simple blood tests taken on the day of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can predict with fairly high reliability which patients are likely to die and which are likely to survive with severe disability, according to a study published Wednesday in Lancet Neurology. (Muthukumar, 8/10)
In mental health news —
Axios: Multiracial LGBTQ Youth Are At Higher Risk Of Attempting Suicide
Nearly half of multiracial LGBTQ youths "seriously considered" suicide in 2021, according to a new report from The Trevor Project provided to Axios. (Gonzalez, 8/11)
KHN: Social Media Posts Criticize The 988 Suicide Hotline For Calling Police. Here’s What You Need To Know.
When the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline launched last month, many mental health providers, researchers, and advocates celebrated. Although a national suicide hotline had existed for years, finally there was an easy-to-remember three-digit number for people to call, they said. The shorter number would serve as an alternative to 911 for mental health emergencies. But not everyone felt the same way. Some advocates and people who had experiences with the mental health system took to social media to voice concerns about 988 and warn people not to call it. (Pattani, 8/11)
In other health and wellness news —
CNN: 'Silent' Spread Of Polio In New York Drives CDC To Consider Additional Vaccinations For Some People
A polio case identified in New York last month is “just the very, very tip of the iceberg” and an indication there “must be several hundred cases in the community circulating,” a senior official with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told CNN on Wednesday. The case was found In Rockland County, which has a stunningly low polio vaccination rate. Dr. José Romero, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, noted that the majority of people with polio don’t have symptoms and so can spread the virus without knowing it. (Cohen, 8/11)
Axios: Polio Unlikely To Spread Widely In U.S.
The detection of poliovirus in wastewater samples in London and New York state is providing another stark reminder of the importance of vaccination and new forms of surveillance, public health experts say. (Dreher and Reed, 8/11)
USA Today: New Langya Virus Infects Dozens In China. Why Experts Say You Shouldn't Panic
“In order to really be something we should be worried about … it’s got to be able to transmit between people,” Emily Gurley, epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “There’s no evidence from this report that person-to-person transmission is happening.” (Rodriguez, 8/10)
Press Association: Women On Vegetarian Diets More Likely To Break Their Hips, Study Finds
Women who follow a vegetarian diet have a higher risk of breaking their hips in later life, a new study suggests. Researchers said vegetarian diets "often have lower intakes of nutrients that are linked with bone and muscle health" after their study found female vegetarians had a 33% increased risk of hip fracture compared to regular meat eaters. (Pickover, 8/11)
