Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Working From Home Is Also Hurting Foot Health
Philadelphia Inquirer: Plantar Fasciitis, Achilles Tendinitis, Foot Pain Symptoms Rising During COVID-19 Pandemic
Foot pain has been on the rise during the pandemic, as people working from home kicked off their supportive shoes in favor of flimsy slippers and flip-flops, while others, including Hudson, used the time to become more active, which put new strain on their feet. “In March 2020 I said … ‘Oh, my goodness, everyone is going to have plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinitis,” recalled Laura Virtue-Delayo, the president of the Pennsylvania Podiatric Medical Association. Her prediction panned out: Podiatrists, orthopedic surgeons and physical therapists say they’re seeing more cases of plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinitis — two common foot-pain conditions — than ever before. (Gantz, 2/15)
In news about health and race —
USA Today: COVID Pushed More Americans Outdoors. But Racial Inequities Persist
For adults, past research has linked time spent in nature to decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and mental distress, noted Peter Newman, head of Penn State’s Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management and co-author with Taff and Rice. Because health problems usually get worse during a pandemic, the value of outdoor recreation is even greater, Newman said. “Outdoor recreation and parks really should be part of the discourse on public health,” Newman said. “These are places where people not only feel better, but there are measurable health benefits.” (Bagenstose, 2/15)
KHN: What Does It Say About Your Neighborhood If The Supermarket Isn’t So Super?
Though I grew up in Roxbury, “the heart of Black culture in Boston,” I now live in Los Angeles, where I typically shop for groceries at Whole Foods Market or Trader Joe’s. Their produce is fresh, green, abundant. Organic options beckon as you walk in the door. So it gnawed at me, a Black woman, when I recently walked into a supermarket in a lower-income L.A. neighborhood and was greeted instead by an array of processed, high-sugar, high-sodium foods — often offered with a nice discount: Coca-Cola products, five 2-liter bottles for $5; sugary cereals, two for $4; boxed brownie and cake mixes, four for $5. The pandemic had underlined long-standing health disparities of Black and brown communities. (Giles, 2/16)
In other public health news —
USA Today: Pig Heart Transplant Patient Enjoys Super Bowl 5 Weeks After Surgery
A marvel of modern science, David Bennett continues to defy odds, surviving more than a month after his pig heart transplant. On Sunday, Bennett sat up in bed and meekly sang “America the Beautiful” as Jhené Aiko belted out her rendition prior to Super Bowl LVI. Bennett, who received a genetically modified pig heart during a transplant on Jan. 7, is recovering at the University of Maryland Medical Center. “The heart is doing great. We have several cardiologists trying to find any fault in it but they have not been able to do it,” said lead surgeon Dr. Muhammad M. Mohiuddin, Professor of Surgery and Director of the Cardiac Xenotransplantation Program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. “The heart is contracting vigorously as it should. It has shown no signs of rejection.” (Walters, 2/15)
NPR: Homeless Youth And Children Are Wildly Undercounted, Advocates Say
Dominique Marshall moved a lot in her youth. She called many different places "home" over short periods of time when she was 17. She learned at a young age that the public school staff and liaisons she grew up around weren't adequately trained to recognize homeless students. "I wasn't identified at the school I was at and because of that I didn't qualify for many services until I went to a shelter," Marshall, 23, says. "Even then, the liaison in Philadelphia didn't really have a conversation about what was going on." (Beiner, 2/15)
Stat: This Family Carried A Rare Mutation That Should Have Been Lethal
The result didn’t make sense. The researcher kept scanning the mouse’s pregnant belly, back and forth, back and forth. They could see the embryos on the ultrasound screen, cocoon-like, in grayscale — but there were no heartbeats. It should’ve been visible by now, at eight and a half days, a rhythmic flashing, a clue that the organ was on its way. Instead, each outline was utterly still, dead before it had come to life. That couldn’t be right. These mice carried the exact same genetic mutation as a family who lived about an hour away, in the county outside Pittsburgh, near the West Virginia line. The humans definitely had beating hearts. (Boodman, 2/15)
KHN: Demand For Service Dogs Unleashes A ‘Wild West’ Market
Jenni Mahnaz admits she’s not much of a dog person. She’s mildly allergic and the only pet she had as a child was a hermit crab. But once she learned that specially trained dogs could help her daughters with their medical needs, she was willing to do anything to make it happen. Her oldest daughter, Suraiya, 6, was diagnosed with autism and sensory processing challenges. Soon after, 4-year-old Phoenix was diagnosed with epilepsy. “Our family is very likely to end up with two service dogs,” Mahnaz said. “I think we’re probably looking at $10,000 per dog.” (Hawryluk, 2/16)
