The 2020 Olympics, postponed due to COVID-19, officially started with Friday’s Opening Ceremony. In many ways, the Opening Ceremony was like that of prior summer games. In the Parade of Nations, jubilant athletes representing 205 countries marched into the Olympic stadium with their teammates. Pita Taufatofua of Tonga, in this 3rd Olympics, once again marched shirtless carrying his country’s flag. Four-time tennis Grand Slam champion, Naomi Osaka representing Japan became the first tennis player to light the Olympic cauldron in the modern games.
Despite the similarities to prior Olympics, there were powerful reminders of the on-going COVD-19 pandemic and its human costs. A Japanese boxer, who works as a nurse, ran on a treadmill flanked by socially distanced athletes on a stationary bike and a rowing machine. Masks were worn by athletes and Olympic officials. And perhaps the most potent COVID-19 reminder – the placards that filled the 68,000 stadium seats instead of cheering spectators.
The Olympic athletes have demonstrated their determination to overcome the obstacles due to COVID in order to proudly represent their country, team and sport. As we watch the events this weekend and root for our favorites, may we all feel more inspired to do whatever it takes to end the pandemic!
This Weekend Reading series begin with #Out of Bounds, looking at the impact of misinformation on HPV, COVID-19 vaccines and more. Next check out #Heavy Lifts, with articles on hospital monopolies, price transparency and quality. In #A Horse of a Different Color explore articles on other health threats in the U.S., such as a drug resistant fungus, RSV and more. Last but not least, do not miss #Go for Gold – can you guess my personal favorite?
I hope you enjoy the following:
1. #Out of Bounds
- Axios: Misinformation on adverse effects a factor in HPV vaccine refusal
- STAT: ‘When Memory Fades’: Misinformation about Alzheimer’s disease and Aduhelm must be limited
- Forbes: No, A Covid Shot Didn’t Kill Haiti’s President: Here Are The Latest (Debunked) Vaccine Myths Spreading Online
- NPR: The Life Cycle Of A COVID-19 Vaccine Lie
- Pew Research Center: Quiz – How well can you tell factual from opinion statements?
2. #Heavy Lifts
- NPR: The Untamed Rise Of Hospital Monopolies
- Kaiser Health News: Effort to Decipher Hospital Prices Yields Key Finding: Don’t Try It at Home
- Kaiser Heath News: Hospital Prices Must Now Be Transparent. For Many Consumers, They’re Still Anyone’s Guess.
- HealthDay: Even at Same Hospital, Black Patients Face More Complications Than Whites
3. #A Horse of a Different Color
- Newsweek: What Is RSV and How Do Kids Get It? CDC Warns of Spike in Virus Affecting Children
- STAT: U.S. sees first cases of dangerous fungus resistant to all drugs in untreated people
- New York Times: Why Everyone Has the Worst Summer Cold Ever
- STAT: More than 200 people in U.S. being monitored for possible monkeypox exposure, CDC says
4. #Go for Gold
- Smithsonian Magazine: This Graphic Artist’s Olympic Pictograms Changed Urban Design Forever
- Cision: Horses really can fly, even if they’re not called Pegasus. For more, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U0wZi-XRAA
- University of MI Health: 4 Olympic-themed activities for kids to try
- AARP: 10 Oldest Olympic Athletes at the Tokyo Summer Games
- BBC: Quiz: How well do you know the Olympics?
Enjoy your weekend!
Best,
Suzanne
Suzanne Daniels, Ph.D.
AEPC, President
P.O. Box 1416
Birmingham, MI 48012
Office: (248) 792-2187
Email: [email protected]
