Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Pump Act Will Help Families If Passed; End To China's 'Zero Covid' Could Be Disastrous
The Washington Post: The Pass The Pump Act Is The Best Gift Congress Could Give To Families
Lawmakers’ one last, incomplete chance to show parents they haven’t been forgotten is to pass the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act — a bill expanding protections for breastfeeding workers — before this Congress ends. (Alyssa Rosenberg, 12/20)
The Washington Post: China's New Covid Nightmare May Become A Global Catastrophe
China’s “zero covid” policy was unsustainable and abruptly scrapped, but the absence of a coherent fallback strategy threatens a fresh set of nightmares for its population, its economy and the Communist Party leadership. A new crisis could shake the whole world. (12/20)
Bloomberg: When To Take A Rapid Covid Test Before Your Holiday Party
For many people, this holiday season feels like a return to 2019, with crowded stores, holiday parties and travel plans. But one Covid concession we should retain at the end of 2022 — and well into 2023 — is the use of rapid antigen tests, especially before attending large gatherings or meeting with people at high risk. (Faye Flam, 12/20)
Stat: Realigning The U.S.'s Moral Compass For Sickle Cell Disease
Even as the United States has made commitments to health as a human right and reversing health disparities and has invested significantly in orphan diseases, it continues to overlook sickle cell disease (SCD), the most common inherited blood disorder worldwide, which affects more than 100,000 Americans, most of whom are Black or Hispanic American. (Amar Kelkar, Julie Kanter and Payal Desai, 12/21)
The CT Mirror: Life Is Fragile. Gun Culture Is Changeable
Life is fragile, and it’s all that we have. More guns equals more gun deaths. No other country has anywhere near as many gun deaths as we do here in the U.S. The Second Amendment talks about “a well-regulated militia.” It was written in 1791, when arms were far less deadly than they are today. There is no right to own a bazooka, a sidewinder missile or an AR-15. Let’s get real. (Peter Hansen, 12/21)
The Washington Post: Fentanyl Use Exploded While Government Slept. Here's What To Do Now.
Fentanyl is an opioid 50 times more potent than heroin, giving users a sense of euphoria but also putting them in mortal peril. Too much in the bloodstream can trigger respiratory failure and ultimately cardiac arrest. (12/20)
The CT Mirror: CT's Black Veterans Need Mental Health Services
In 2021, there were over 150,000 veterans living in Connecticut. Recently, a Black veteran from Hamden, Conley Monk Jr., filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), alleging that they have denied VA benefits and disability compensation claims for Black veterans at a higher rate than white veterans for decades. (Francine Erfe, 12/20)
