Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: New Options Are Needed In The War On Antibiotic Resistance; Loneliness Has A Negative Impact
Columbus Dispatch: Rise Of The Superbugs. Why Antibiotics Barely Have Fighting Chance
Since the widespread use of penicillin to quell gangrene during the Second World War, we have been living in the so-called antibiotic era where we have managed to subdue microscopic bacterial invaders that have waged war with humans for millennia. (Jacob Harris, 1/17)
The Tennessean: Loneliness Is A Health Crisis Plaguing Americans. We Need To Reconnect With Each Other
Lacking quality relationships in your life is about as much of a wrecking ball on your health as being a pack-a-day smoker. You read that correctly. You don’t have to take my word for it. In 2023, the United States Surgeon General identified loneliness and isolation as a public health epidemic. We are more technologically connected than we’ve ever been, and yet we are so deeply alone. (Cameron Smith, 1/19)
Seattle Times: Bill Requiring Fentanyl Education In WA Schools Deserves Bipartisan Support
Lawmakers may be in an abbreviated legislative session, but there’s still enough time for them to pass important legislation that will ultimately save lives. House Bill 1956, and its companion bill, Senate Bill 5923, does just that. By request from Gov. Jay Inslee, the legislation would require all public middle and high schools to educate students on the dangers of opioids, particularly the synthetic opioid fentanyl. It deserves strong support. (1/18)
Stat: There's An Unseen Cost To Disruptive Road-Blocking Protests
Recent events in Israel and Gaza have sparked a wave of protests, with some activists in major cities using a familiar tactic: obstructing traffic. While this seems to have been an effective strategy by protesters across the political spectrum to draw attention to a variety of issues in recent years — including racial injustice, climate change, and pandemic restrictions — these protests raise an important question: At what cost do these disruptions come? (Christopher M. Worsham and Anupam B. Jena, 1/19)
Stat: The Biotech Job Market Outlook For 2024 Is Bright
What a week — this year’s might have been the busiest JPM I’ve ever had. I’m not saying that to brag, it’s a statement about the industry. There was even one tweet from STAT’s Adam Feuerstein calling the meeting mood “jubilant.” As a partner at an executive search firm, I’d concur. My time was packed with the usual mix of requests from potential, current, and former clients as well as investors to discuss search projects, and of course the meeting requests from potential candidates. Perhaps most notably: I didn’t encounter nearly as many “can you please help me find a job?” requests as last year. That suggests to me that 2024 will be a better year for the industry’s job seekers. (Christopher Palatucci, 1/19)
