Public Health Roundup: Cancer Survival In Kids; Transforming Blood Types
News outlets cover more public health stories, including one Parkland shooting survivor's interest in medicine and steps teachers are taking to make school lockdown less scary for kids.
NPR:
Black And Hispanic Kids Are More Likely To Die Of Some Cancers
When it comes to cancer survival, the United States is sharply divided by race. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the cancer death rate for African-Americans is 25 percent higher than whites, and Hispanics and Latinos are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer at a late, and more dangerous, stage of the disease. Kids aren't exempt from those disparities either — black and Hispanic children are more likely to die of many childhood cancers than their white counterparts. So what explains the survival gap? (Blakemore, 8/20)
Stat:
Researchers Look To Transform Type A, Type B Blood Into Type O
Canadian researchers unveiled a promising bit of scientific alchemy Tuesday: a newly discovered enzyme that may be able to turn your average blood donation into coveted Type O blood, which can be safely transfused into at least 85 percent of Americans. Their work is an admittedly early step, but one researchers hope could ultimately help them address near-constant shortages of donated blood. (Sheridan, 8/21)
The New York Times:
‘I’m Focusing On Medicine’: A Parkland Survivor Returns To The Hospital That Saved Her
Maddy Wilford tied a surgical mask around her face and scraped the dirt from beneath her fingernails. She scrubbed her hands and arms, allowing frothy yellow iodine to wash over the thick scar on her right arm — a physical reminder that she had nearly died six months ago at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. Ms. Wilford was shot multiple times that day, the bullets piercing her arm and torso, and arrived at Broward Health North in shock and need of surgery. Now she was volunteering as an intern at the same hospital, learning about medicine from the doctors who saved her life. (Bidgood, 8/21)
CNN:
Lockdown Curtains And Drill Bags. Preparing For School Shootings Is Now Just Another Part Of A Teacher's Day.
Walk in to any given elementary or middle school classroom, and you're bound to be greeted with some evidence of a teacher's love and effort. ... Yet these cheery touches are now often interspersed with evidence of a dark and low-burning awareness. Teachers are putting together buckets of treat to keep students calm during lockdown drills. They're hanging up bright door curtains that can be quickly released to shield a classroom from a killer's eyes. They're composing hand-lettered posters and pamphlets to lay out what to do if ever, heaven forbid, a school shooting were to happen. (Willingham, 8/20)