Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
The Heat Is On: 70 Million Americans Under Temperature Alerts
CNN: 3rd Heat Wave Grips The South This Summer, And Experts Say It Will Get Worse
The third heat wave of the still-early summer is scorching the US South, and "it will get worse ... before it gets better," warns the National Weather Service. Over 65 million people across 16 states are under heat alerts Thursday, with triple-digit heat indexes -- or "feels like" temperatures -- expected in cities including Dallas; St. Louis; Memphis, Tennessee; Little Rock, Arkansas; Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta; and Raleigh, North Carolina. (Major, Ward and Garrett, 7/7)
The New York Times: 70 Million Americans Are Under Heat Warnings Or Advisories
Nightfall will bring little relief, with temperatures remaining in the upper 70s and low 80s.“These multiday heat waves can become more dangerous, because the body is unable to cool off at night,” said Zack Taylor, a Weather Service meteorologist. “And it’s just repeating, day after day after day of high heat and humidity.” (Paz, 7/6)
North Carolina Health News: Heat Wave Blankets NC, Raises Risk Of Health Effects
“Heat kills more people than any other weather-related event,” explained Ashley Ward, a policy associate at the Duke Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions. Part of the reason heat is so deadly, she said, is because you can’t see it. (Donnelly-DeRoven, 7/8)
Oklahoman: Oklahoma Heat Advisories Continue As Triple Digit Temperatures Persist
The Oklahoma City metro area's largest emergency medical service provider has issued its third medical heat advisory of the year, with temperatures across the state expected to continue climbing to the triple digits through Monday. Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) said in a release Thursday that personnel had responded to six calls that were suspected of being caused by heat-related illness Wednesday. (Williams, 7/7)
KLRT: Little Rock Advocacy Group Delivers Ice To Unsheltered People During Heat Wave
A Little Rock advocacy group is working to keep unsheltered Arkansans safe from the extreme temperatures this week. Aaron Reddin is the Executive Director of The Van, a group that does outreach work for the homeless community in central Arkansas. He spent Thursday delivering ice to six camps in the city. (Epperson, 7/7)
In other environmental health news —
WUSF Public Media: Contaminated Oysters Found As Far North As Tampa Bay Could Pose Health Risks
With a new state law addressing the clean-up of chemical compounds that have been widely used by industries, a Florida International University study says the substances have been found in oysters in Biscayne Bay, the Marco Island area and Tampa Bay. (7/7)
CBS News: Another Giant African Snail Sighting Forces Florida County Into Quarantine
The reappearance of an invasive snail species forced state officials to enact a quarantine order two weeks ago for residents of Florida's Pasco County, an area north of Tampa along the gulf coast. As of Thursday, more than 1,000 snails had been captured, said agriculture commissioner Nikki Fried, with the vast majority of them found alive. (Mae Czachor, 7/7)
The Boston Globe: Four Young Adults Sickened After Cohasset Swim Center Opens Prematurely, Town Says
Four young adults participating in a swim practice were sickened at the Cohasset Swim Center on Wednesday after the facility opened prematurely and a broken pipe caused a leak in its largest pool, town officials said. The center, which is not owned or operated by the town, opened to the public without its finalized building permit or pool health inspection permit, according to a statement Thursday from the office of Cohasset Town Manager Christopher G. Senior. (Fox, 7/7)
On the hepatitis outbreak —
CIDRAP: CDC Reports 12 More Unexplained Hepatitis Cases In Kids, 332 Total
In a weekly update, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday reported 12 more unexplained pediatric hepatitis cases in children, raising the national total to 332. The number of affected states held steady, at 42. (7/7)
