Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Take These Steps Now To Prepare For Future Pandemics; Ending Roe Has Had Dire Consequences
When the first U.S. case of monkeypox infection was detected in May, the Massachusetts State Public Health Laboratory had a test already in place. The assay was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention years before in anticipation of such an outbreak and distributed to members of the Laboratory Response Network, a group of governmental public health labs prepared for high-priority public health emergencies. (Scott J. Becker, 11/5)
This past summer, after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. W‌ade, I started publishing a daily newsletter tracking abortion news, ‌following everything from state bans to stories of women denied vital health care. After months of writing about abortion, it’s clear that stripping this right from half of Americans has had a swift, damaging and pervasive impact. (Jessica Valenti, 11/5)
Hospitals and community health centers are cornerstones of our communities. (Ilan Shapiro, Shweta Namjoshi and Olivia S. Morris, 11/6)
Heading into the third winter since COVID-19 emerged in the U.S., public health leaders have an abundance of information about the deadly virus. How it spreads and how to stop it. What they haven’t yet figured out is how to communicate this information effectively. (11/6)
The morning was crisp and still dark as I sat in my car in the hospital lot, summoning the will to open the door and leave for my shift in the emergency department. Like many frontline providers in early 2021, I felt pancaked by the two pandemic surges — emotionally and morally. (Jay Baruch, 11/7)
