This week's most-read First Opinion also inspired a record number of letters to the editor. Ashish K. Jha, the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health and former White House Covid-19 response coordinator, wrote that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's controversial new Covid isolation guidance — which says that you don't have to isolate once your symptoms are gone — is a great example of public health advice adjusting to the situation at hand. Jha argues that public health is all about balancing benefit against burden, and that at this stage of the pandemic, the burden of stricter isolation guidance would outweigh the benefit for most people.
I heard from many readers who took issue with those last few words: "for most people." You can find some of those responses in the Letters to the Editor page that published yesterday. Others were even more heated: "Dr. Jha's article reflects the same individualist thinking that has plagued the U.S. since the beginning of the pandemic, and which is largely responsible for our disastrous response and death toll," one read.
Though the article angered many, I thought it was a valuable, well-argued perspective from a leading public health expert. My hope was that it would prompt thoughtful conversation — and it did. To me, that's the value of an opinion section: If we're only publishing pieces that STAT readers agree with, what's the point? When I speak to groups about writing for the public, I like to emphasize that someone should disagree with your piece. If everyone agrees, then no one is talking, and an opinion section is all about promoting discourse.
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Also on First Opinion this week: A second New York medical school has announced it will be going tuition-free, a move that was hailed as a way to increase diversity and encourage more future physicians to go into primary care. But Tricia Pendergrast and Jared E. Boyce warn that eliminating tuition can't do everything its proponents promise. Psychiatric drug development needs a wholly new approach, writes Amit Etkin. Neurologist Michael P.H. Stanley (I like to think that stands for Public Health) argues against charging patients to message their physicians. (STAT+ subscribers: What do you think? Weigh in on STAT+ Connect here.) Ancient ideas infuse today's discussions about reproductive health. And pharma needs more data to better serve LGBTQ+ patients.
Recommendation of the week: You know what movie has nothing to do with health or medicine but really holds up? "The Cutting Edge." Toepick!
Also, I have a request. I have two weeks left before I head on maternity leave (!), so please send me your recommendations for shows, books, and podcasts I can enjoy while feeding a baby. (As a first-time mom, I'll take your best tips for helping a baby sleep, too. But don't you dare tell me to sleep when the baby sleeps.)
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