Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Telemedicine May Be What Saves Reproductive Rights; AI Is The Future Of New Medications
When the Supreme Court overturned Roe almost two years ago, it opened the door for abortion opponents in more than half the states to shut clinics and put women's rights out of state and out of reach. However, telemedicine is an option that has bloomed through the dark days post-Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. (Julie F. Kay, 5/10)
Alphabet鈥檚 artificial intelligence subsidiary, Google DeepMind, has yet again knocked the socks off scientists with its latest iteration of AlphaFold, using the tool to illuminate the intricate dance between some of life鈥檚 most important molecules. It鈥檚 an important leap towards a world where technology enables a deeper understanding of human biology and, hopefully, improves our ability to discover new drugs. (Lisa Jarvis, 5/9)
We don鈥檛 yet know if H5N1 bird flu will spill over from animals to infect a large number of humans. Based on the few cases of transmission so far, the World Health Organization has expressed concerns that infection in humans 鈥渃an cause severe disease with a high mortality rate.鈥 (Alex Tey, 5/10)
A 30-year-old farm worker in North Carolina died last September on a day that was fairly typical for the state. Temperatures were in the mid-90s and the heat index, which includes humidity, was 96 degrees F. This index is often referred to as the 鈥渇eels like鈥 temperature, and is commonly used to gauge heat stress on the body. But use of the heat index to gauge whether Jos茅 Arturo Gonz谩lez Mendoza and his fellow sweet potato harvesters could work safety grossly underestimated the lethal risks at play. (Ashley Ward and Jordan Clark, 5/10)
Pizza. Coloring books. Goody bags. They could be activities at a 5-year-old鈥檚 birthday party. But they鈥檙e not: These are many employers鈥 attempts to lift the morale of nurses on the frontlines of chronically understaffed organizations. What nurses really want are better working conditions so they can deliver the best care possible to their patients. (Karen B. Lasater and K. Jane Muir, 5/10)