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Eagle-eyed readers noticed that I wrote “east” when I meant “west” and “work” when I meant “worm” in yesterday’s newsletter. On the record, let’s say that I put these typos in on purpose, to make sure you’re all reading closely! Here’s what we’ve got today:
How RFK Jr.’s views could signal a new era in addiction policy
Many of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s views on health care issues like chronic disease and vaccines are already well-known. But you may be less familiar with the MAHA leader’s stance on addiction treatment. As President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead HHS, his beliefs suddenly carry immense implications for the U.S. response to the overdose crisis. When he was a presidential candidate, RFK Jr. cast the issue as a symbol of the nation’s broader ills, and he himself has struggled with heroin use and alcohol. So what does he think needs to be done about the crisis?
His main message is that whatever America is doing hasn’t worked. He has pitched a nationwide system of “healing farms,” espoused the virtues of 12-step programs, and even advocated for “tough love” for people fighting addiction. But he’s also indicated that he may be open to the controversial practice of supervised consumption. Read more from Lev on how RFK Jr. could bring in a new era for U.S. drug policies.
Child in possible H5N1 case drank raw milk
There’s an interesting twist to a possible human case of H5N1 bird flu in Marin County, Calif.: The child suspected of being infected drank raw milk. In a statement, Marin Health and Human Services said the child went to a local emergency department with a fever and vomiting. A flu test confirmed influenza A infection, though whether that is seasonal flu or H5N1 remains to be determined. The child has since recovered, but an investigation into whether this illness was triggered by H5N1 is still underway.
Flu researchers have worried about what might happen to people if they drink H5N1-laced milk that has not undergone pasteurization. Milk from infected cows contains extraordinarily high levels of the virus, though pasteurization has been shown to kill the virus. Cats on farms with infected cows have died from drinking raw milk and lab mice fed infected raw milk became so ill they had to be euthanized. But it hasn’t been known if consuming the virus in raw milk would pose the same risk to people. California’s Department of Public Health recently announced two recalls of raw milk after commercially available product from a large supplier, Raw Farm LLC, tested positive for the virus. CDPH announced last week that it had put Raw Farm in quarantine, blocking release of its products while they continue to test positive for the virus. — Helen Branswell
1 in 5
That’s about how many people under the age of 50 (and above age 15) worldwide are living with genital herpes infections, according to estimates published yesterday in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections. Many people who live with the infection are asymptomatic, but it comes with an increased risk of HIV, and flare-ups can be painful. For years, people with herpes in the U.S. have pushed the government to do more on the disease. The study authors emphasized the need for more prophylactic and therapeutic treatments, like vaccines.
The FDA could be running out of time to ban electric shock
It was the early 2000s when then-14-year-old Eagle was first shocked with a graduated electronic decelerator — a device used to send shocks to someone’s legs, arms, or stomach in order to treat self-injurious or aggressive behavior. “It was the scariest thing that I ever had to endure and witness,” Eagle told STAT’s Timmy Broderick about her four years at a residential facility for people with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The center where Eagle received this treatment — which United Nations officials call torture — is the only place in the U.S. that still uses the device, experts say. But it is still technically legal. Scientists and disability rights advocates have long condemned it, and finally the FDA seems to be on the verge of banning the device. But with the Trump administration poised to take over next month, advocates worry that the plan will fall through. Read more from Timmy.
Does this hospital gown make me seem dehumanized?
People admitted to the hospital who must wear a clinical gown felt significantly more dehumanized than those who were allowed to wear their own clothes, according to a small study published yesterday in JAMA Network Open. A group of 74 patients in New Zealand were randomized so half wore a gown and half wore their own clothes while interviewed by an intern for a standard hospital admission. Researchers analyzed patient speech patterns and administered a “dehumanization questionnaire” after the consultation.
There was no statistically significant difference in the number of words spoken by participants, or in their blood pressure. But the difference in survey results shows that the gowns are associated with increased feelings of vulnerability and disempowerment, the authors wrote.
The study reminded me of a New York Times column from October, in which a reader asked a fashion writer why hospital gowns are so ugly. The Times’ Vanessa Friedman wrote that the gown was designed as “a sort of democratizing uniform,” but she, too, noted a dehumanizing effect. The gown can serve as “an advertisement, really, that you have transitioned from being a unique individual to being a sick person,” she wrote.
Cockroach as medicine (when the disease is elitism)
Cockroaches are nasty, yes, but they are also cheap, take up little space, and pose no real danger to humans. That makes them perfect for neuroscience outreach — at least according to a group of researchers who are working to create cheaper science programs and tools to get high school students interested in the field.
For example — with a cockroach, plexiglass, and a basic laptop, students can measure then analyze how roaches move when exposed to different gasses. “There’s only a very small handful of the population that have access to an actual laboratory,” one scientist told Anil. “Neurophysiology is a secret handshake community, in a way.” Read more.
What we’re reading
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U.S. health panel adds self-testing option for cervical cancer screening, AP
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Will Democrats let the GOP gut trans health care? Rolling Stone
- Next dietary guidelines should lead with plant-based foods, scientific advisers say, STAT
- Trump’s pick for AI czar signals support for science advisory panel, Science
- Jamie Foxx calls on the Senate to pass a bill funding Down syndrome research, STAT