Kaiser Health News (5/13, Gold, Hawryluk) reports that “from cafeteria staff to doctors and nurses, hospital workers around the country report frustrating failures by management to notify them when they have been exposed to co-workers or patients known to be infected with COVID-19.” There are “some medical centers” that “do carefully trace the close contacts of every infected patient and worker, alert them to the exposure and offer guidance on the next steps.” However, “others, by policy, do not personally follow up with health workers who unknowingly treated an infected patient or worked with a colleague who later tested positive for the virus.”

Related Links:

— “Hospital Workers Complain of Minimal Disclosure After COVID Exposures, “Jenny Gold and Markian Hawryluk, Kaiser Health News, May 13, 2020

NPR (5/13, Noguchi) reports, “Mental health specialists are working now to bolster the resilience of Americans who are suffering from feelings of despair — in hopes of preventing increases in suicides among people who are under increased pressure during the coronavirus pandemic.” NPR adds that experience with past natural disasters “shows that a rise in suicide often happens in the months after the immediate physical dangers of the disaster have passed.” Dr. Roger McIntyre, professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto, said, “The two most replicated, robust factors linked to suicide are economic change – downturn – and social disconnection,” and both are present during the current pandemic.

Related Links:

— “Act Now To Get Ahead Of A Mental Health Crisis, Specialists Advise U.S., “Yuki Noguchi, NPR, May 13, 2020

CNBC (5/12, Higgins-Dunn) reports, “As millions of Americans lose their jobs and economists predict a slow recovery, mental health professionals warn that the prolonged financial and personal stress caused by the Covid-19 pandemic increases the risk of suicide, especially in people already grappling with depression and anxiety.” Dr. Vaile Wright, director of clinical research and quality for the APA, said, “We’re in for a long-term mental health crisis.” Dr. Wright added that people should engage in activities to maintain their well-being, such as staying connected to people virtually, “They sound very simple, but they provide the structures that need to protect our mental health. When we’re able to do that and have some sort of even keel, then we can figure out, ‘OK, what do I do about the fact that I don’t have a job?’”

Related Links:

— “Coronavirus crisis creates ‘perfect storm’ for suicide risk as job losses soar and people are isolated at home, “Noah Higgins-Dunn, CNBC, May 12, 2020

CNN (5/11, Fox) reports that the “first US study of autism in adults estimates that 2.2% of Americans adults have an autism spectrum” disorder, totaling “5.4 million people age 18 and older, or about 1 in 45 people, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday.” The CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities said, “This is the first CDC study to provide estimates of the number of U.S. adults with autism and fills a gap in data on adults living with autism spectrum disorder in the United States because there is no existing surveillance system to collect this information.”

Related Links:

— “First US study of autism in adults estimates 2.2% have autism spectrum disorder, “Maggie Fox, CNN, May 11, 2020

The AP (5/11, Morgan) reports the VA and veterans groups are preparing for a surge in veterans with mental health needs. The VA and its partners “have kept thousands of veterans in treatment during the coronavirus pandemic through telehealth appointments. But as job losses and increased social isolation take an extended toll, some veterans’ advocates worry the already understaffed VA medical facilities can’t keep up and that telehealth isn’t enough.”

Related Links:

— “Veterans groups, govt brace for surge in mental health needs, “Sarah Blake Morgan, Claudia Lauer And Hope Yen , AP, May 11, 2020