Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: It's Time We Start Taking Bird Flu Seriously; Influencers Spread Alarming Lies About Contraception
The Washington Post: Why We Should Start Worrying About Bird Flu
Forty-one people in the United States have been infected by the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu since April, the Centers for Disease Control confirmed last week. These include 17 cases from California and nine from Washington, both states that had no known human infections until last month. (Leana S. Wen, 11/5)
Stat: Influencers Are Spreading Dangerous Misinformation About Birth Control
In a viral TikTok, a woman in the emergency room shares a message questioning why so many women in their 30s struggle with cancer and infertility, and suggests that birth control’s long-term hormonal disruption is the cause. Another influencer mocks the FDA inserts that accompany birth control, unfolding the long lists of side effects in videos to humorously repurpose them as “blankets” for napping or as tools for helping men grasp the harsh realities their partners face to prevent pregnancies. That TikTok has received 2.6 million likes and 21,000 comments. (Emily Pfender, 11/5)
Chicago Tribune: We Must Ensure Voting Rights For Americans With Disabilities
Typically, mental capacity is a medical determination that occurs in the context of a guardianship petition. The concept of guardianship dates to Roman law. Even then, civilized societies understood that certain people could not function as adults and would require the lifelong supervision by another. (Eugene R. Schnitzler, 11/5)
Kansas City Star: As The Sun Sets Earlier, Depression Can Hit Hard. Here's How To Get A Positive Mindset
As we begin to feel the onset of cooler weather and the end of daylight saving time brings earlier sunsets, many of us might start to experience symptoms of seasonal affective disorder or SAD. SAD, as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, is a type of major depressive disorder that occurs at the onset of the season, typically as the cooler, darker weather sets in. According to Medline Plus, up to 3% of the general population is affected by SAD each year. (Krista Bolin, 11/5)
Stat: The U.S. Must Catch Up To China In Proteomics
Every few decades the United States launches a big science project. The original “moon shot” was kicked off by NASA’s Apollo Program in the 1960s. Its spiritual successor, the Human Genome Project, was launched in 1990 and concluded a dozen years later with the first sequenced genome. In 2016, the Cancer Moonshot debuted. Now is time for the next moon shot. (Neil Kelleher and Rohan Ganesh, 11/5)
