Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
The Mask Market: Chaotic, Wild Wild West World Of Oddballs, Shadowy Investors And Ganjapreneurs
ProPublica: The Secret, Absurd World Of Coronavirus Mask Traders And Middlemen Trying To Get Rich Off Government Money
It was 10 p.m. on a Tuesday, and I was watching footage of secret stockpiles of N95 masks, so-called proof-of-life videos sent to me by strangers, when Tim, the juicer salesman, called. “My name is Tim, and I heard you’re looking into VPL,” the man said in a squeaky, nervous timbre. “I distanced myself from the company because they weren’t delivering what they said.” (McSwane, 6/1)
ABC News: CDC And WHO Offer Conflicting Advice On Masks. An Expert Tells Us Why.
The World Health Organization issued new guidance this week that may seem confusing to Americans, who have been advised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to wear cloth face masks in public to help slow the spread of COVID-19. "If you are healthy, you only need to wear a mask if you are taking care of a person with COVID-19," the newly updated WHO guidelines read. Both organizations are considered to be reliable, authoritative sources of public health information. So why are they offering conflicting guidance on wearing masks during the pandemic? (Schumaker, 5/29)
CBS News: Facemasks Through The Ages, From Medical Aid To Fashion Statement
Mark Honigsbaum, a medical historian and author of books like "The Pandemic Century," knows from face masks, going back to their first known medical use, during the Black Death – the bubonic plague of the middle ages that killed roughly half of Europe's population. And those were some masks. "Everybody probably is familiar with the classic image of the beaked physician, the plague doctor," Honigsbaum said. (5/31)
