Healthcare

The Cancer Capital of America

|

The Cancer Capital of America

Kentucky has the unfortunate distinction of being No. 1 in incidence and mortality rates of cancer per capita in the United States, and the eastern part of it faces significantly higher rates of mortality and morbidity, due to heart and lung disease, diabetes, and cancer, than the rest of the state and country. Because of that, the region, of which the population is less than 15 percent of the entire state, has become a microcosm of the vast gulf between the critical importance of preventative care and the myriad factors that might prevent vulnerable populations from seeking it, leading to unnecessary pain, distress, and untimely deaths, even as medical treatments become more advanced and insurance more available.

I find it really annoying when people smoke cigarettes outside of buildings downtown

|

I find it really annoying when people smoke cigarettes outside of buildings downtown … 🚭

Not only is cigarette smoking unhealthy, it smells really bad for people passing by, going out for a walk, not wanting to breathe in your second hand smoke. Cigarette smoking is fine in a suburban backyard or a rural area, but it shouldn’t be allowed out in front of tall buildings downtown or near bus stops where people are either going for a walk, or just trying to catch a bus somewhere.

A complete ban on smoking downtown, would reduce the amount of second-hand smoke people are forced to breathe in, while forcing smokers to either quit, or risk being arrested and fined. While I don’t think that it makes sense to ban all tobacco products, if they prohibited smoking in public places, it would greatly reduce the nuisance and health impacts of smoking in dense urban areas.

Copper is great at killing superbugs – so why don’t hospitals use it?

|

Copper is great at killing superbugs – so why don’t hospitals use it?

Fantasilandia in Chile, one of Latin America’s largest theme parks, has replaced its most frequently touched surfaces with copper to help reduce the spread of germs and protect the health of its visitors. But why? Because copper and its alloys exhibit impressive antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal properties.

Copper has been exploited for health purposes since ancient times. Egyptian and Babylonian soldiers would sharpen their bronze swords (an alloy of copper and tin) after a battle, and place the filings in their wounds to reduce infection and speed healing.

Corona-virus should help boost sales of brass door handles.

Coronavirus and the Terrifying Muzzling of Public Health Experts – Union of Concerned Scientists

|

Coronavirus and the Terrifying Muzzling of Public Health Experts – Union of Concerned Scientists

The Trump administration is scrambling to reconcile the president’s contradictions of statements made by federal health scientists about the emerging coronavirus crisis. Their solution: muzzle scientists, require that all statements be politically vetted through Vice President Pence, and punish federal employees who draw attention to gross negligence. This is a highly dangerous power grab that undermines both emergency response and public faith in the reliability of information coming out of the government. And it speaks to the incompetence and incoherence of the response to this crisis so far.

It’s hard to keep track of the number of Trump appointees who should know basic facts about the coronavirus but don’t. Then yesterday, we learned that the actual public health experts in government would no longer be allowed to speak publicly about the outbreak without the vice president’s blessing.

Why Europeans Don’t Get Huge Medical Bills

|

Why Europeans Don’t Get Huge Medical Bills

There is, however, a way to eliminate those bank-busting surprise medical bills without eliminating health insurance. Just ask Europe. Several European countries have health insurance just like America does. The difference is that their governments regulate what insurance must cover and what hospitals and doctors are allowed to charge much more aggressively than the United States does.

When I described surprise medical bills to experts who focus on different western-European countries’ health systems, they had no idea what I was talking about. “What is a surprise medical bill?” said Sophia Schlette, a public-health expert and a former senior adviser at Berlin’s National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians. “Seriously, they don’t happen here.”