Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Two Studies Hint At Why Covid May Hit Some Women Harder And Longer
NPR: POTS Diagnosis Offers Hope And Treatment For People With Long-Haul COVID-19
Jennifer Minhas is among those who suffer lingering problems after COVID-19. A diagnosis of POTS, a little-known circulation disorder that mostly affects women, offers a way forward. (Aubrey, 5/22)
CNN: The Women Possibly At Higher Risk For Covid-19 That No One Is Talking About
Last July, when her immediate family tested positive for Covid-19, Breanna Aguilar did not fit into any groups considered at higher risk for severe disease. She is 31 years old, a pet sitter and former fitness teacher who once ran a half marathon. She was, by most measures, healthy. When Aguilar got Covid-19 she lost her sense of taste, had mild fevers and muscle weakness. She could barely keep anything down yet gained about 30 pounds. Later, she developed pelvic pain, cystic acne, breast tenderness, headaches, brain fog and extreme fatigue. (Masi, 5/23)
In other pandemic news —
Stat: He's A Nobel Laureate. Critics Say He Was Misleading On Covid
One day last August, as they struggled to figure out whether to lift Covid-19 restrictions, the supervisors of Placer County, California, convened a panel of experts. It was a reasonable move. If being a local official could be thankless in normal times, the pandemic had made it nearly impossible. Federal messaging had been hopelessly muddled. Rules meant to stop viral spread came with painful side effects. One constituent insisted the sheriff enforce lockdowns; another called stay-at-home-orders an economic death sentence. Wanting advice from doctors and professors was hardly surprising. (Boodman, 5/24)
KHN: Tips For Older Adults To Regain Their Game After Being Cooped Up For More Than A Year
Alice Herb, 88, an intrepid New Yorker, is used to walking miles around Manhattan. But after this year of being shut inside, trying to avoid covid-19, she’s noticed a big difference in how she feels. “Physically, I’m out of shape,” she told me. “The other day I took the subway for the first time, and I was out of breath climbing two flights of stairs to the street. That’s just not me.” Emotionally, Herb, a retired lawyer and journalist, is unusually hesitant about resuming activities even though she’s fully vaccinated. “You wonder: What if something happens? Maybe I shouldn’t be doing that. Maybe that’s dangerous,” she said. (Graham, 5/24)
