Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
E. Coli Infection Count Hits 84; Whole Foods Sued Over Antibiotics In Beef
The E.coli bacteria outbreak in four Midwest states from an unknown source has affected 47 more people, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday, with a majority of the total 84 reported to have sandwiches at Wendy's. The agency said 52 people of the 62 it interviewed reported to have eaten sandwiches with romaine lettuce at a Wendy's restaurant in the week before they fell ill. (8/26)
Several consumers are suing Whole Foods, claiming traces of antibiotics were found in their beef products labeled antibiotic-free, according to a lawsuit filed in California this week. Whole Foods uses the slogan, "Our Meat: No Antibiotics, Ever" in its marketing materials, such as on packaging, signs in the store and on its parent website, Amazon. (Archie, 8/26)
You might be less willing to help another person if you are deprived of quality sleep, according to a new study. Through three different experiments, Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, found that a lack of sleep may affect how humans treat each other. The study, which was published Tuesday in the journal PLOS Biology, noted a selfish effect that altered behavior due to sleep deprivation. (Nieto, 8/24)
KHN: With More Sizzling Summers, Colorado Changes How Heat Advisories Are IssuedÂ
For all the images of ski resorts and snow-capped peaks, Colorado is experiencing shorter winters and hotter summers that are increasingly putting people at risk for heat-related illnesses. Yet until this year, the National Weather Service hadn’t issued a heat advisory for the Denver metropolitan area in 13 years. That’s because the heat index commonly used by the weather service to gauge the health risks of hot weather relies on temperature and humidity. Colorado’s climate is so dry that reaching the thresholds for that kind of heat advisory is nearly impossible. (Hawryluk, 8/26)
Having a chronic disease can feel like a full-time job. There are the symptoms, the flare-ups, the medications and therapies and appointments. And there are tiny adjustments to be made all the time — to a sitting position, a meal, a plan, an expectation. (Cueto, 8/26)
