Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Weakest Spots Of Mosquito Control In U.S. Are Also The Places Where Zika-Carrier Is Most Likely To Appear
The New York Times: In Miami, Facing Risk Of Zika With Resolve But Limited Resources
Summer is coming, and the Aedes aegypti will soon be buzzing around its usual haunts in the United States — mostly in the South and Southwest. But it is already here in South Florida, hatching from kiddie pools and rain-catching flowerpots, recycling containers and bottle caps. Scientists do not believe that the United States will have a runaway Zika epidemic, but most agree that mosquitoes here will eventually acquire it and that they could start infecting people, leading to local flare-ups. (Tavernise, 4/1)
In other public health news, research shows the affects parents' depression can have on their child's grades and a couple struggles with the costs of Alzheimer's —
NPR: Kids' Grades Can Suffer When Mom Or Dad Are Depressed
When parents suffer depression, there can be a ripple effect on children. Kids may become anxious, even sad. There may be behavior problems. Health may suffer. Recently, a large Swedish study showed that grades may decline, too, when a parent is depressed. Using data from 1984 to 1994, researchers from Philadelphia's Dornsife School of Public Health, at Drexel University, measured school grades for more than 1.1 million children in Sweden and compared them with their parents' mental health status. The study was published in a February issue of JAMA Psychiatry. (Neighmond, 4/4)
CBS News: Husband Puts Off Retirement To Afford Wife's Alzheimer's Care
Nearly 16 million Americans are caring for a family member or friend who has Alzheimer's disease, a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and the ability to carry out simple tasks. A new study looked at the sacrifices unpaid caregivers are making, and found that some are giving up their own basic needs. (Lapook, 3/31)
