Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Even As Schools Plan Reopening, Homeschooling Is Booming
Although the pandemic disrupted family life across the U.S. since taking hold in spring 2020, some parents are grateful for one consequence: They鈥檙e now opting to homeschool their children, even as schools plan to resume in-person classes. The specific reasons vary widely. Some families who spoke with The Associated Press have children with special educational needs; others seek a faith-based curriculum or say their local schools are flawed. The common denominator: They tried homeschooling on what they thought was a temporary basis and found it beneficial to their children. (Crary, 7/26)
In other public health news 鈥
Grimmway Farms is voluntarily recalling select carrot products for possible salmonella contamination. According to the recall notice posted on the Food and Drug Administration website, six products are part of the recall under the brand names of Bunny Luv, Cal-Organic, O Organics and Grimmway Farms. The company, which is based in Bakersfield, California, said no illnesses have been linked to the recall to date. (Tyko, 7/23)
Heather Williams walked into the doctor鈥檚 office feeling confident and calm. She had researched the intrauterine device that her obstetrician-gynecologist was about to place inside her uterus: People online told her to expect 鈥渕ajor cramping鈥 during insertion, but she figured it wouldn鈥檛 be worse than a period. As long as she took a few ibuprofen, she thought she鈥檇 be fine. Thirty minutes later, Williams was lying on the cold tile floor in the bathroom at the doctor鈥檚 office. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I鈥檇 ever felt pain like that before,鈥 she said. (Kitchener, 7/19)
Walt Disney executives won鈥檛 be traveling to Las Vegas next month to attend the National Association of Theatre Owners鈥 CinemaCon. The company cited growing concerns over the Covid-19 delta variant for why it鈥檚 skipping out on the annual gathering of cinema owners and Hollywood studios at Caesars Palace, according to a report from The Hollywood Reporter. Disney will screen one of its upcoming movies instead of holding a staged presentation. (Whitten, 7/24)
This fellow redefined "mind-blowing sex" after he suffered a life-threatening stroke while repeatedly masturbating. Now, medical experts are saying he鈥檚 lucky he escaped the ultimate unhappy ending. The unnamed "51-year-old right-handed man" from Japan admittedly enjoyed pleasuring himself several times a day, according to the new case study published in the medical Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases. (Cost, 7/24)