Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Norwegian Cruise May Not Operate In Summer, Might Avoid Florida Anyway
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is allowing cruise ships to resume operations this summer, but Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Frank Del Rio says that will be unlikely given the agency鈥檚 tough requirements. 鈥淚 seriously doubt we will be able to stand up a vessel out of a U.S. port in July. August is also in jeopardy and it鈥檚 all because of the disjointed guidelines from the CDC,鈥 Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Frank Del Rio said on CNBC鈥檚 Closing Bell. 鈥淲hat we received yesterday was anything but a clear path to restarting.鈥 (El-Bawab, 5/6)
Florida's new law prohibiting businesses from asking whether employees or customers have been vaccinated against Covid-19 may take a toll on its cruise business. The CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. said Thursday it could cause the company to suspend Florida departures and move its ships elsewhere. (Kallingal and Rose, 5/7)
In other public health news 鈥
The end of the emergency phase of the pandemic is in sight in the United States, at least for now. But as the weight of the crisis is lifted, experts are also anticipating a long-term impact on people鈥檚 mental health. For some people, the feelings of anxiety and depression that emerged during the pandemic will resolve as routines resume 鈥 people go back to the office, social connections are reformed, the seeming danger of activities dissipates. But others will face new or worse mental health issues that persist or even appear down the road, a number that could be quite large given the magnitude of despair and disruption. (Joseph, 5/7)
In recent weeks, Dr. Kali Cyrus has struggled with periods of exhaustion. "I am taking a nap in between patients," says Cyrus, a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins University. "I'm going to bed earlier. It's hard to even just get out of bed. I don't feel like being active again." Exhaustion is also one of the top complaints she hears from her patients these days. They say things like, "It's just so hard to get out of bed" or "I've been misplacing things more often," she says. Some patients tell Cyrus they've been making mistakes at work. Some tell her they can "barely turn on the TV. 'All I want to do is stare at the ceiling.' " Others say they are more irritable. (Chatterjee, 5/6)
KHN: 鈥業 Just Feel Like Myself鈥: A Nonbinary Child In Their Own Words聽
It鈥檚 7:30 a.m. on a school day. Two parents are racing to get their three young children dressed, fed, packed for the day, into coats and out the door when 6-year-old Hallel runs downstairs, crying. Ari, Hallel鈥檚 father, is the first to ask 鈥淲hat鈥檚 wrong?鈥 The answer launched a journey these parents never envisioned, described by words they鈥檇 not heard and questions they never thought they鈥檇 ask. (We鈥檙e using only first names for the family members in this story due to Hallel鈥檚 age.) (Bebinger, 5/7)