Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Supply Chain Crunch Limits Contrast Dyes For US Medical Imaging
The Washington Post: Medical Scans Are Latest Casualty Of China Supply Chain Breakdowns
Doctors in the United States are prioritizing only the most critical patients and hospitals are rationing supplies of a crucial drug after a covid lockdown in China temporarily closed a GE Healthcare factory that is a vital source for a key ingredient in medical imaging. The shutdown of the facility in Shanghai in April halted production of contrast media, an iodine solution that medical staff inject into blood vessels to allow a device such as a CT scanner or fluoroscope to see inside the body. Contrast media, also known as dye, is used virtually every hour in hospitals across the country to help measure arterial blockages around the heart, guide placement of stents in catheter labs, diagnose and treat strokes, and more. Oncologists use contrast to monitor cancerous tumors. (Rowland, 5/11)
In other news from China —
Bloomberg: China's First Covid-19 Patients Still Suffering After Two Years
Two years after being hospitalized with Covid-19, more than half of patients still experience symptoms like fatigue and sleep disruption, according to a study in the original epicenter of Wuhan that underscores the pandemic’s lasting burden. Full recovery has remained elusive for people who suffered through the virus’s first wave, meaning patients had poorer health than the general population and required more attention from health-care services, according to a study published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. (Fourcade, 5/11)
And more global covid news —
Bloomberg: North Korea's Kim Jong Un Orders Covid Lockdown On First Confirmed Case
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered all cities to be put under lockdown after the state for the first time Thursday said it has Covid-19 in its borders. “A serious situation has been created due to the introduction of a stealth omicron mutant virus into our precincts,” its official Korean Central News Agency said. At a party meeting attended by Kim, authorities elevated the country’s national quarantine measures to “maximum emergency,” it added. (Lee and Cha, 5/12)
AP: EU Lifts Mask Recommendation For Air Travel As Pandemic Ebbs
The European Union will no longer recommend medical masks be worn at airports and on planes starting next week amid the easing of coronavirus restrictions across the bloc, though member states can still require them, officials said Wednesday. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency said it hoped the joint decision, made with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, would mark “a big step forward in the normalization of air travel” for passengers and crews. (Jordans, 5/11)
In abortion news from Canada —
Politico: Trudeau Government Funds Abortion Services Amid Fallout From Roe V. Wade Disclosure
The Canadian government has announced funding to improve access to abortions as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces questions about his direction on abortion rights in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court disclosure on Roe v. Wade. Trudeau is under pressure to make good on his promises to expand access to abortion services since POLITICO reported last week on a draft of a majority opinion that would overturn the landmark decision. (Forrest, 5/11)
