{"id":1554,"date":"2022-03-24T06:50:26","date_gmt":"2022-03-24T06:50:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linksus.net\/wednesday-march-23-2022-kaiser-health-news\/"},"modified":"2022-03-24T06:50:26","modified_gmt":"2022-03-24T06:50:26","slug":"wednesday-march-23-2022-kaiser-health-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linksus2.linksus.net\/index.php\/2022\/03\/24\/wednesday-march-23-2022-kaiser-health-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Wednesday, March 23, 2022 – Kaiser Health News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t<\/a> \t\tKaiser Health News Original Stories\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAs States Impose Abortion Bans, Young Doctors Struggle \u2014 And Travel Far \u2014 To Learn the Procedure<\/a> \t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tThe number of medical schools and residency programs where aspiring physicians can learn to perform abortion procedures continues to shrink, a byproduct of the anti-abortion legislation being enacted in multiple states.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t(Sarah Varney, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBlack Therapists Fight to Be Seen on TikTok. When They Are, They Find Solidarity.<\/a> \t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tBlack mental health therapists talk openly on TikTok about working in a predominantly white field, while at the same time making mental health care more accessible for people of color who might be shut out of the health care system.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t(Hannah Norman, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPolitical Cartoon: 'An Empathetic Approach'\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tKaiser Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "Political Cartoon: 'An Empathetic Approach'" by Dave Coverly<\/a>.\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\tAdministration News\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUS Out Of Money For Buying Second Covid Booster Shots, Official Says\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t
Federal officials have secured enough doses to cover a fourth shot for Americans age 65 and older as well as the initial regimen for children under 5, if authorized by regulators, officials told The Washington Post. But the lack of new covid money in the spending bill passed this month by Congress is undermining efforts to stockpile more vaccine doses.
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe Washington Post: \t\t\t\t\t\tWhite House Officials Warn U.S. Has Exhausted Funds To Buy Potential Fourth Vaccine Dose For All Americans\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tThe Biden administration lacks the funds to purchase a potential fourth coronavirus vaccine dose for everyone, even as other countries place their own orders and potentially move ahead of the United States in line, administration officials said Monday. Federal officials have secured enough doses to cover a fourth shot for Americans age 65 and older as well as the initial regimen for children under 5, should regulators determine those shots are necessary, said three officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to detail funding decisions. But the officials say they cannot place advance orders for additional vaccine doses for those in other age groups, unless Congress passes a stalled $15 billion funding package. (Diamond, Roubein and Abutaleb, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tPeople: \t\t\t\t\t\tWhite House Says They're Out Of Money For Fourth COVID Vaccine Dose\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t"Right now, we don't have enough money for fourth doses, if they're called for," White House coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients told former COVID-19 advisor Andy Slavitt on an upcoming episode of his podcast, In The Bubble With Andy Slavitt, recorded Monday and shared with the [Washington] Post. "We don't have the funding, if we were to need a variant-specific vaccine in the future." The lack of money is due to Congress eliminating the proposed $15 billion for the White House's COVID-19 program \u2014 which supplies free testing, treatments and vaccinations \u2014 in the larger government spending bill that passed two week ago that President Joe Biden signed into law last Tuesday. (Mazziota, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tFortune: \t\t\t\t\t\tWhite House: There\u2019s No Money To Pay For Everyone\u2019s Fourth COVID Shot\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tWhile medical officials debate whether a second COVID-19 booster shot is necessary, Biden administration officials are warning that the government doesn\u2019t have the money to pay for those doses, as it did the first vaccination rounds. … Pfizer and Moderna have both filed for emergency authorization for a second COVID-19 booster shot for people 65 and older — this would mean a third or fourth round of jabs, depending on the vaccines you've had previously. (Morris, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
In related news about boosters \u2014
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tSalon: \t\t\t\t\t\tDo We All Need A Fourth Vaccine Dose? Why Doctors Are Not Convinced \u2014 Yet\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tStudies continue to show that mRNA vaccines and boosters for COVID-19 are very successful at preventing hospitalization and death, but there has been some data to suggest their overall effectiveness against coronavirus infections is waning \u2014 especially when confronted with the\u00a0omicron variant. Notably, one recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine\u00a0analyzed data from 2,239,193 people in Qatar who had received at least 2 doses of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. Researchers found that for those who were fully vaccinated and boosted, protection against the delta variant was 86.1 percent; but against symptomatic illness from the omicron variant, protection was only 49.4 percent. A separate study from the United Kingdom determined the effectiveness of a third Pfizer dose declined from 67 to 46 percent within a few months after vaccination at preventing a symptomatic infection. (Karlis, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tDetroit Free Press: \t\t\t\t\t\tBeaumont Study: Booster Vaccine Dose Cut Risk Of COVID-19 Death 45%\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tCOVID-19 vaccine booster shots reduced the risk of death in\u00a0adults hospitalized at Beaumont Health\u00a0by 45% compared with\u00a0unvaccinated patients, according to a\u00a0new study published in The Lancet Regional Health \u2014 Americas medical journal.\u00a0The observational study is among the first to examine how effective COVID-19 vaccine boosters are in the real world. It included\u00a08,232 people with COVID-19 who were hospitalized with the virus between Aug. 12 and Jan. 20 at Beaumont's hospitals\u00a0\u2014 during both the delta and omicron variant surges. The\u00a0mortality rate was 7.1% among the 448 people who were fully vaccinated and boosted.\u00a0(Jordan Shamus, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProgram That Funds Covid Testing And Treatment For The Uninsured Runs Dry\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t
The provider relief fund, which was created to help hospitals and community health centers seeing decreased revenue or increased expenses because of the pandemic, was launched with more than $100 billion in 2020, and later legislation added about $78 billion.
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe Wall Street Journal: \t\t\t\t\t\tBiden Administration To Stop Reimbursing Hospitals For Covid-19 Care For Uninsured\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tSome people without health insurance will begin getting bills for Covid-19 treatments and testing after the Biden administration on Tuesday starts winding down a federal program that reimburses providers for virus-related care for the uninsured and that officials say is running out of funds. The White House says it will end the reimbursement program, which started under the Trump administration and also pays hospitals and other healthcare providers for things such as administering Covid-19 vaccines to uninsured people, by the end of April because it is running out of money. The administration and hospitals are urging lawmakers to approve more funding for the program. (Armour and Siddiqui, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tAP: \t\t\t\t\t\tCOVID Budget Impasse Halts Aid To Test And Treat Uninsured\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tThe Uninsured Program is an early casualty of the budget impasse between Congress and the White House over the Biden administration\u2019s request for an additional $22.5 billion for ongoing COVID response. In operation since the Trump administration, the program reimburses hospitals, clinics, doctors and other service providers for COVID care for uninsured people, whose numbers total about 28 million. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tFierce Healthcare: \t\t\t\t\t\tWhite House: Providers Won't Get Reimbursed For Uninsured COVID-19 Care Unless Congress Acts\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tThe program has been in place since the start of the pandemic roughly two years ago. The $175 billion Provider Relief Fund paid out the uninsured claims, and the American Rescue Plan allocated $4.8 billion to reimburse providers for testing uninsured patients. More than 50,000 providers have received reimbursements under the program, according to data from the Health Resources and Services Administration.\u00a0(King, 3\/15)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\tCovid-19 Crisis\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFast-Moving Subvariant BA.2 Advancing Toward Dominance In US\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t
A genomics company says that its data shows that "stealth omicron" is already responsible for most new covid infections, while the CDC says it accounts for 1 in 3 cases. As those trends indicate that the highly transmissible subvariant is gaining traction, experts urge the U.S. to prepare.
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe Washington Post: \t\t\t\t\t\tLatest Version Of Omicron Accounts For Most New Infections In Many Parts Of The U.S., Genomics Testing Shows\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tThe recently emerged version of the coronavirus called BA.2 that has driven a wave of cases in Europe now accounts for as much as 70 percent of new infections in many parts of the United States, according to an estimate from the genomics company Helix that could signal a new chapter in the third year of the pandemic. The estimate from Helix, which conducts genomic sequencing on virus samples, comes amid concerns that Europe\u2019s surge in infections will be replicated in coming weeks in the United States, where caseloads have often trailed those in Europe by roughly a month. (Achenbach, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tBay Area News Group: \t\t\t\t\t\tOmicron BA.2 Subvariant Now One In Three U.S. COVID-19 Cases\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tThe CDC data show that as of March 19, BA.2 \u2014 often referred to as \u201cstealth omicron\u201d \u2014 accounted for 34.9% of genetically sequenced samples across the U.S., up from 22.3% as of March 12 and 12.6% on March 5. In the Northeast, BA.2 accounts for as much as 55.4% of the virus, and in Western states including California, 41.3%. Dr. George Rutherford, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California-San Francisco, said the increase is \u201cabout what I expected\u201d given the subvariant\u2019s transmissibility. \u201cIt will continue to climb at 10 percentage points a week or so,\u201d Rutherford said. (Woolfolk, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tBloomberg: \t\t\t\t\t\tBA.2 Variant Spreading In U.S., CDC Says, Especially In New York, Northeast\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tThe fast-growing lineage of the coronavirus is most common in New England and in the New York region, where it accounted for more than half of all new infections, according to agency projections. While Covid cases have continued to drop nationally, New York City saw infections rise about 33% to 924 for the week ending March 19, according to a separate tally of cases from the agency \u2014 well below levels during the winter omicron surge. BA.2 isn't believed to be more dangerous than other strains, though there are indications that it is more infectious.\u00a0(Muller, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe Boston Globe: \t\t\t\t\t\tOmicron Subvariant Now Accounts For Over Half Of All COVID-19 Cases In New England, CDC Says\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tA new Omicron subvariant, which is believed to be one of the drivers of a COVID-19 resurgence in Europe, now accounts for more than half the new cases in New England, according to estimates from the CDC. The subvariant, known as BA.2, accounted for 55.4 percent of cases in New England as of Saturday, continuing to elbow out other varieties of Omicron. Nationally, BA.2 has grown to account for 34.9 percent of cases, up from 1 percent as recently as early February, according to the CDC estimates. (Fincane, Fujiwara and Huddle, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
More on the surge of BA.2 \u2014
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tCNN: \t\t\t\t\t\tUS Covid-19: As BA.2 Subvariant Grows, Experts Look To Other Countries To Predict Its Impact Here\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tAfter weeks in free fall, new Covid-19 cases are starting to level off in the US, as the BA.2 subvariant continues its ascent. BA.2 caused about 35% of cases in the US last week, up from 22% the week before, according to new estimates from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which were posted on Tuesday. At the same time, new Covid-19 cases are holding steady or increasing in about 19 states, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Some of the states seeing increases\u2014New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Jersey are in northeastern regions where the CDC estimates that BA.2 is now causing more than half of new Covid-19 cases. (Goodman, 3\/23)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe Washington Post: \t\t\t\t\t\tHow Fast Omicron\u2019s BA.2 Variant Is Spreading Around The World\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tIn a pattern the world has seen twice over the past year, a new version of the coronavirus is sweeping across the globe. Omicron\u2019s BA.2 subvariant is already by far the world\u2019s dominant form of the coronavirus, as recorded in the GISAID international repository of coronavirus genetic sequences analyzed by The Washington Post. (Keating, Dong and Shin, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe Wall Street Journal: \t\t\t\t\t\tClues To Covid-19\u2019s Next Moves Come From Sewers\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tAt a sewage treatment plant on a sliver of land in Boston Harbor, trickles of wastewater are pumped into a plastic jug every 15 minutes. Samples from the jugs, analyzed at a lab in nearby Cambridge, Mass., are part of the growing effort to monitor the Covid-19 virus in wastewater across the U.S. On Deer Island in Boston, readings from the system covering 2.4 million people have recently shown virus readings leveling off after a steep decline from this winter\u2019s Omicron-driven rise. In some areas, levels of the virus may be edging higher. (Abbott and Kamp, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhite House Spokesperson Reinfected By Covid; Hillary Clinton Tests Positive\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t
A positive covid test is keeping White House press secretary Jen Psaki from another international presidential trip. Announcing her second infection, Psaki said she had two recent "socially distanced meetings" with President Joe Biden \u2014 who tested negative Tuesday. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also has covid.
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tNPR: \t\t\t\t\t\tWhite House Press Secretary Jen Psaki Tests Positive (Again) For COVID-19\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tWhite House press secretary Jen Psaki announced Tuesday that she had tested positive for COVID-19. In a statement posted to Twitter, Psaki said she had two "socially-distanced meetings" with Biden on Monday and said he is not considered a close contact by CDC guidance. Biden tested negative with a PCR test on Tuesday, she said. "Today, in preparation for travel to Europe, I took a PCR test this morning. That test came back positive, which means I will be adhering to CDC guidance and no longer be traveling on the President's trip to Europe," Psaki wrote on Twitter. (Franklin, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tAP: \t\t\t\t\t\tHillary Clinton Tests Positive For COVID; Bill Quarantining\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tFormer Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday she has tested positive for COVID-19 with \u201cmild\u201d symptoms. On social media, the former Democratic presidential candidate said she was \u201cfeeling fine\u201d and that former President Bill Clinton had tested negative and was quarantining until their household was fully cleared. (3\/22)\t\t\t\t
In other news about the spread of the novel coronavirus \u2014
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tCIDRAP: \t\t\t\t\t\tStudy Shows Efficient Deer-To-Deer SARS-CoV-2 Transmission\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tA US study shows that white-tailed deer (WTD) inoculated with COVID-19\u2013causing SARS-CoV-2 shed infectious virus for up to 5 days, resulting in efficient deer-to-deer transmission on day 3, findings the authors say highlight the potential for deer to become a reservoir for the virus. … "Understanding the infection and transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in WTD is critical to prevent future zoonotic transmission to humans, (at the human-WTD interface during hunting or venison farming), and for implementation of effective disease control measures," the study said. (3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tCNN: \t\t\t\t\t\tHow Protected Are We Against Covid-19? Scientists Search For A Test To Measure Immunity\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tIn 2010, doctors told Ben Sobieck, now 37, that his kidneys were inexplicably failing. Shortly after, he had a kidney transplant and started on the lifelong medications that weaken his immune system to keep his body from rejecting the donor organ. They never figured out what caused Sobieck's kidney failure. But a decade later, he confronted another threat to his health: the Covid-19 pandemic. "I am on immunosuppressants that make me more vulnerable for serious Covid complications," said Sobieck, 37, who lives in Minnesota. "If you're immunocompromised, you may not have a very good response to the [Covid-19] vaccine." Seeking evidence that his immune system was working the way it should, Sobieck made an unusual request: He asked his nephrologist to do a blood test that gives a rough measure of antibodies, a type of protein the body creates in response to an infection or vaccine. Antibody titers reveal the concentration of a specific antibody found in someone's blood. (Ahmed, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\tPandemic Policymaking\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTravel Industry Reps Urge Biden Administration To Drop Mask Mandate\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t
The U.S. Travel Association and a union for Texas-based Southwest Airlines flight attendants ask the Biden administration to lift the federal requirement for masked travel.
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tReuters: \t\t\t\t\t\tU.S. Travel Industry Urges White House To Lift COVID Restrictions, Mask Mandate\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tThe U.S. Travel Association on Tuesday urged the White House to lift COVID-19 travel restrictions and repeal a mandate requiring masks on airplanes and in other transit modes by April 18, according to a letter seen by Reuters. In a letter to Dr. Ashish Jha, the incoming White House COVID response coordinator, the group called for an immediate end to the pre-departure testing requirement for all fully vaccinated inbound international persons and ending the mask mandate by April 18 "or announcing a plan and timeline to repeal the federal mask mandate within the subsequent 90 days." (Shephardson, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tDallas Morning News: \t\t\t\t\t\tSouthwest Airlines Flight Attendants Ask Biden To Drop Face Mask Mandate\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tThe union for flight attendants at Dallas-based Southwest Airlines is asking the White House and other aviation regulators to drop face mask mandates that have become a hallmark of flying during the COVID-19 pandemic. The TWU Local 556 union that represents that carrier\u2019s 16,000 flight attendants said in a letter to President Joe Biden and other regulators that \u201cServing onboard during these contentious times and enforcing mask compliance is one of the most difficult jobs we have ever faced as flight attendants.\u201d (Arnold, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe New York Times: \t\t\t\t\t\tWhen Are Mask Mandates On Airplanes Ending?\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tAir travel has been one of the last holdouts for strict pandemic mask requirements. In the United States, for example, the mask mandate \u2014 which was recently extended to April 18, when it comes up for review again \u2014 is still enforced. Over the last year, 922 of those who didn\u2019t wear masks received fines from the Transportation Security Administration, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office. But there are hints that the tide may be turning: Within the past few weeks, Danish airports and London\u2019s Heathrow Airport have lifted their mask requirements, as have several major British airlines. (Murphy, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
In updates on covid mandates in New York \u2014
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe New York Times: \t\t\t\t\t\tA Judge On New York State\u2019s Highest Court Is Unvaccinated And Could Be Removed From The Bench\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tA judge on New York State\u2019s highest court could face removal from the bench for failing to comply with the state\u2019s Covid vaccination mandate, according to court guidelines and state officials. Jenny Rivera, an associate judge on the state Court of Appeals, has participated remotely in the court\u2019s activities since the fall, when the state court system\u2019s vaccination mandate took effect and unvaccinated employees were barred from court facilities. (O'Brien, 3\/23)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe New York Times: \t\t\t\t\t\tPreschoolers Can Shed Their Masks, Mayor Adams Says\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tIn his first months as mayor, Eric Adams has been almost singularly focused on New York City\u2019s recovery from the pandemic, urging workers to return to offices and ending mask mandates for school-age children and vaccine mandates for restaurants and gyms. Mr. Adams forged ahead with that effort on Tuesday, declaring an end to the city\u2019s school mask mandate for children under 5 \u2014 his latest move to restore a sense of normalcy in a city battered by the coronavirus. (Fitzsimmons, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
Also \u2014
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tSeattle Times: \t\t\t\t\t\tSeattle Students Walk Out Of School, Demand Mask Mandates Be Reinstated\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tMore than 100 Seattle Public Schools students walked out of class Monday morning to protest the district\u2019s decision to end the requirement that students and staff wear masks.\u00a0Many of those students rallied at district headquarters, the John Stanford Center, to ask Superintendent Brent Jones to reinstate the mask mandate districtwide. Mask requirements for Seattle and most other districts in the state ended a week ago. (Velez, 3\/21)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tAP: \t\t\t\t\t\tMichigan School Paying $190K In Dispute With Outspoken Mom\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tA suburban Detroit school district agreed to pay nearly $190,000 to settle a lawsuit by a parent who said she lost her job after criticizing COVID-19 policies. The Rochester district released the agreement Tuesday after a public records request by The Associated Press. Controversies over masks, online learning, in-person instruction and other issues have hit schools across the U.S. during the pandemic. But the allegations in Rochester were extraordinary: Elena Dinverno accused the district of making calls that caused her to be fired from her marketing job. (White, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\tCapitol Watch\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSupreme Court Nominee Defends Her Record On Handling Child Sex Abusers\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson weathered some intense questioning from Republicans, who challenged her sentences for people convicted of child sex abuse as well as several hot button issues such as critical race theory and transgender rights.
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tPolitico: \t\t\t\t\t\t5 Takeaways From Ketanji Brown Jackson's Supreme Court Hearing\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tRepublicans unloaded a broad arsenal of attacks on Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson on Tuesday, confronting her on issues ranging from her sentences for child pornography defendants to her representation of Guantanamo Bay inmates to alleged acts of judicial activism. But as the hearing passed the 12-hour mark, Jackson seemed largely unruffled. In a few instances, her irritation with the questioning led to responses delivered \u201cwith all due respect\u201d when it seemed she didn\u2019t think much respect was due. (Gerstein and Levine, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe New York Times: \t\t\t\t\t\tPledging To \u2018Stay In My Lane,\u2019 Jackson Defends Her Record\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tWhile Republicans had initially been wary of the optics of attacking the first Black woman to be put forward for the Supreme Court, some G.O.P. members of the panel \u2014 particularly those with presidential ambitions \u2014 assailed Judge Jackson\u2019s record in a series of tense exchanges in which they implied that she was soft on crime, particularly when it came to child sexual abuse, and an extremist on matters of race. … Mr. Durbin sought to get ahead of the issue on Tuesday, opening the hearing by asking Judge Jackson what went through her mind on Monday as she sat and listened, with her family looking on, while a host of Republicans accused her of having coddled sex offenders in her rulings and sentencing recommendations. She used the moment to deliver an emphatic response that telegraphed some of her anger at those attacks. \u201cAs a mother and a judge who has had to deal with these cases, I was thinking that nothing could be further from the truth,\u201d Judge Jackson responded. \u201cThese are some of the most difficult cases that a judge has to deal with, because we\u2019re talking about sex abuse of children.\u201d (Hulse and Rogers, 3\/23)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tPolitico: \t\t\t\t\t\tBlackburn To Jackson: Can You Define \u2018The Word Woman\u2019?\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tAs the confirmation hearing for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson went into hour 13, Sen. Marsha Blackburn asked the Supreme Court nominee on Tuesday to define the word \u201cwoman.\u201d \u201cI can\u2019t \u2014 \u201d Jackson replied. \u201cYou can\u2019t?\u201d Blackburn said. \u201cNot in this context. I\u2019m not a biologist,\u201d Jackson said. \u201cThe meaning of the word woman is so unclear and controversial that you can\u2019t give me a definition?\u201d Blackburn asked. … Jackson said her role as a judge would be to address disputes about a definition and to interpret the law. (Ward, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe Hill: \t\t\t\t\t\tCruz Presses Jackson On Critical Race Theory\u00a0In Tense Questioning\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tSen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) repeatedly pressed Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman nominated to serve on the Supreme Court, about critical race theory and whether it might influence her work as a justice during her confirmation hearing on Tuesday. During the most dramatic part of the questioning, Cruz singled out a book titled\u00a0\u201cAntiracist Baby,\u201d which argues that babies are taught to be racist or anti-racist and there is no neutrality. The Texas senator said the book was taught to four- to seven-year-olds at Washington's Georgetown Day School, where Jackson serves as a member of the board of trustees. … \u201cSenator,\u201d said Jackson, \u201cI do not believe that any child should be made to feel as though they are racist or though they are not valued or though they are less than their victims, that they are oppressors. I don\u2019t believe in any of that.\u201d (Bolton, \/3\/22)\t\t\t\t
Also \u2014
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tPolitico: \t\t\t\t\t\t12 Questions That Would Actually Tell Us Something About Ketanji Brown Jackson\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tPOLITICO Magazine reached out to a select group of constitutional scholars and Supreme Court watchers to ask: What one question should senators ask to understand how she\u2019ll shape the court? Here\u2019s what they had to say. (3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tPolitico: \t\t\t\t\t\tKetanji Brown Jackson: 55 Things You Need To Know\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tWhat do Americans need to know as Jackson goes under the microscope to replace the retiring Justice Stephen Breyer? Here, culled from speeches, media coverage and Judiciary Committee questionnaires, is a primer on the life of Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Joe Biden\u2019s first nominee to the highest court. (Creamer, 3\/21)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\tPharmaceuticals\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFDA: Baby Formula Factory Had Cleanliness Problems Before Recall\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t
Media outlets cover the Food and Drink Administration's uncovering of unsanitary conditions at the Abbott factory five months before a recall of baby formula was prompted by a cluster of illnesses and two deaths. Separately, Pfizer is recalling a blood pressure drug because of potential carcinogenic impurities.
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tBloomberg: \t\t\t\t\t\tAbbott Infant Formula Plant Found Unsanitary Before Recall\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tFood and Drug Administration inspectors found unsanitary conditions at an Abbott Laboratories plant in Michigan that makes infant formula in September, five months before the company conducted a recall of products associated with the deaths of two babies.\u00a0The FDA\u2019s inspection started on Sept. 20, according to a report posted on the regulator\u2019s website on Tuesday. The same day, Minnesota health officials told the agency about the case of an infant who fell ill with a dangerous bacteria called chronobacter after consuming infant formula.\u00a0(Edney, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tAP: \t\t\t\t\t\tFDA Details Problems At Plant Behind Recalled Baby Formula\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tBaby formula maker Abbott failed to maintain sanitary conditions and procedures at the Michigan manufacturing plant recently linked to a cluster of infant illnesses, according to findings released Tuesday by federal safety inspectors. The Food and Drug Administration posted its initial inspection findings from the Abbott plant that\u2019s been tied to several infant hospitalizations, including two deaths, due to a rare bacterial infection. Abbott recalled various lots of three popular powdered infant formulas in mid-February. FDA inspectors have been on-site inspecting the Sturgis, Michigan, facility since late January. (Perrone, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
In other news about infant nutrition \u2014
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tFortune: \t\t\t\t\t\tByHeart\u2019s Mia Funt On The Launch Of Its Next-Generation Infant Formula, Raising $190 Million In Funding And The Future Of Baby Nutrition\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tMia Funt started ByHeart five years ago, one year after her first daughter, Neve, was born. She, like so many parents, approached both breastfeeding and formula feeding Neve with insecurity (how to do it, when to do it, when to NOT do it, etc). When it came to formula, the options were confusing and the nutrition was unclear. She ended up feeling like she was compromising any time she couldn\u2019t breastfeed. \u201cI had ALL of these questions when I stood in front of a shelf of formulas, and I couldn\u2019t find one that I would feel confident feeding my baby,\u201d she starts her story. (Butkovic, 3\/23)\t\t\t\t
And Pfizer issues a recall \u2014
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tNPR: \t\t\t\t\t\tPfizer Launches A Recall Of Blood Pressure Drugs Due To A Potential Carcinogen\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tPfizer Inc. is recalling a blood pressure drug due to elevated levels of a potential cancer-causing impurity. The company warned consumers on Monday of several tainted lots of Accuretic and two other versions of the drug \u2013 Quinapril and hydrochlorothiazide tablets \u2013 because of the presence of a nitrosamine above the Acceptable Daily Intake level. "Nitrosamines are common in water and foods, including cured and grilled meats, dairy products and vegetables. Everyone is exposed to some level of nitrosamines," according to the Food and Drug Administration. (Romo, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
In other pharmaceutical and biotech industry news \u2014
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe New York Times: \t\t\t\t\t\tAnother Theranos Trial Begins, This Time Without the Fanfare\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tA small group with cameras milled around on the sidewalk. Inside, a smattering of reporters stared into their phones. And when the defendant walked in, flanked by lawyers, barely anyone noticed. So began the federal trial on Tuesday of Ramesh Balwani, the tech executive who is accused of defrauding patients and investors about Theranos, the blood testing start-up he helped build. Mr. Balwani, who goes by Sunny, has pleaded not guilty to a dozen charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. (Woo and Griffith, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tAxios: \t\t\t\t\t\tPrivate Equity's Pandemic-Era Health Care Push Into Pharmaceuticals And Medical Devices\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tPrivate equity firms invested nearly $70 billion in the life sciences and medical device industries last year \u2014 a sign that the pandemic's disruptions didn't cool interest in the sectors, according to a new report by the American Investment Council. The influx of capital could help bring more lifesaving drugs and medical technologies to market. But private equity's growing presence in health care isn't always viewed positively, particularly when it's associated with price increases or reduced access to care. (Owens, 3\/23)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\tHealth Care Personnel\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNursing License Delays Frustrate Would-Be Health Workers\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t
NPR covers the impact that delays on issuing nursing licenses have on the workforce. Meanwhile, Connecticut Public reports on how hard it is to attract new physicians to the area. Other health care personnel news includes Black therapists on TikTok, students training for abortions, and more.
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tNPR: \t\t\t\t\t\tFrustrated Nurses Waiting Months To Get Licensed\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tMore than half of the 12,000 nurses who were issued licenses to work in Pennsylvania in 2021 waited for three months or longer to get them, according to an NPR data analysis. That's one of the longest waits in the 32 states where data is available, NPR's Austin Fast found in an investigation that revealed license applications of newly graduated or relocating nurses often get tangled in red tape for months, waiting for state approval to treat patients. The delays came during a year when as many as 1 in 4 Pennsylvania nurse positions went unfilled, according to a survey from the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania. Nurses and health care groups say the failure to promptly certify nurses added to the critical staffing shortage during some of the worst months of the coronavirus pandemic. (Sholtis, 3\/23)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tConnecticut Public: \t\t\t\t\t\tHealth Providers: It's Nearly Impossible To Attract New Physicians To CT\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tIn 2011, Dr. Timothy Siegrist had just finished his residency training in urology in New York City. He and his wife wanted to move back to Connecticut, where they were both originally from. Siegrist interviewed at five urology practices across the state before settling on one in Middletown, where he\u2019s been ever since. A decade later, four out of those five practices, including his own, now belong to larger health care corporations. \u201cThe No. 1 reason they were unable to remain independent was the inability to recruit new candidates to their practice,\u201d he said. \u201cIn my experience, unless a candidate has family ties that compel them to return or remain in this state, it is nearly impossible to attract new physicians to Connecticut.\u201d (Leonard, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tStat: \t\t\t\t\t\tBefore His Death, He Warned Of Pandemic's Toll On Nurses\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tIn early 2020, Michael Odell sensed that Covid-19 would hit hard. A young intensive care nurse who traveled to hospitals needing an extra hand, he told his family that demand for people like him was surging. By April 2, just a few weeks into what had become an atmosphere of fear and mass death, he was worried about the toll on health care workers. He had been standing in for families barred from the bedside, watching repeated scenes of patient after patient deteriorating. \u201cI am already feeling the emotional burnout of caring for patients who, despite some being the sickest they\u2019ve ever been, are unable to have their loved ones by them,\u201d Odell wrote on Facebook that day. \u201cWhat do you say to someone who is facing death and can\u2019t have their loved ones with them?\u201d … [I]n January of this year, amid another Covid-19 wave, Odell walked out of his shift early one morning while working at Stanford Health Care. He died in an apparent suicide. He was 27. (Joseph, 3\/23)\t\t\t\t
And more about health care personnel \u2014
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tKHN: \t\t\t\t\t\tBlack Therapists Fight To Be Seen On TikTok. When They Are, They Find Solidarity.\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tFrom a well-lighted room, the plants blurred in the background, their face framed by closed captioning, Shahem Mclaurin speaks directly into the camera. The lesson: \u201cTen ways to start healing.\u201d But this is not a classroom, nor is it a therapist\u2019s office. This is TikTok. \u201cWe all have our own things to carry, and those burdens shouldn\u2019t be carried with us for the rest of our lives,\u201d says Mclaurin, a licensed social worker. (Norman, 3\/23)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tKHN: \t\t\t\t\t\tTraining Options Narrow For Medical Students Who Want To Learn Abortion Procedures\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tA barrage of abortion restrictions rippling across the country, from Florida to Texas to Idaho, is shrinking the already limited training options for U.S. medical students and residents who want to learn how to perform abortion procedures. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends standardized training on abortion care during medical residency, the training period after medical school that provides future physicians on-the-job experience in a particular specialty. But the number of residency programs located in states where hospital employees are prohibited from performing or teaching about abortion \u2014 or at Catholic-owned hospitals with similar bans \u2014 has skyrocketed in recent years, an overlooked byproduct of anti-abortion legislation taking root in the American South, Midwest, and Mountain states. (Varney, 3\/23)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tAP: \t\t\t\t\t\tAccidental Injection Death Of Wrong Drug: Ex-Nurse On Trial\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tThe attorney for a former Tennessee nurse on trial in the death of a patient accidentally injected with a paralyzing drug told jurors Tuesday the woman is being blamed for systemic problems at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. RaDonda Vaught, 37, is facing a charge of reckless homicide for administering the drug vecuronium to 75-year-old Charlene Murphey instead of the sedative Versed on Dec. 26, 2017. (Loller, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe Washington Post: \t\t\t\t\t\tAn Oral Surgeon \u2018Fed\u2019 His Girlfriend\u2019s Addictions With Anesthesia And An IV Pole, Police Say. Now He\u2019s Charged With Murder.\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tAn oral surgeon accused of supplying his girlfriend with addictive anesthesia solutions using an IV stand was charged with \u201cdepraved heart\u201d murder Tuesday, stemming from her fatal overdose in their Maryland home, according to Montgomery County court records. James Michael Ryan, 48, was ordered held in jail without bond Tuesday in the death of Sarah Harris, 25. She was a former patient of Ryan\u2019s who had lived at his Clarksburg home for seven months, police say. (Morse, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tNew Hampshire Public Radio: \t\t\t\t\t\tMultiple Women Accuse Eric Spofford Of Sexual Misconduct\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tElizabeth walked out of Green Mountain Treatment Center in 2017 on what she described as a spiritual high. She was newly sober and excited to start the next chapter of her recovery from opioid addiction. Those feelings were fleeting. Just one day after leaving treatment, she said she received unsolicited, explicit Snapchat messages, including a photo of a penis and invitations to meet for sex. The content of these messages disturbed her, but it was the sender that broke her. The messages came from Eric Spofford, the founder of Granite Recovery Centers (GRC), the parent company of the facility Elizabeth had just left. Spofford is one of the most prominent and influential figures in New Hampshire\u2019s response to the opioid epidemic. (Chooljian, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\tHealth Industry\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSt. Jude Uses Donations To Cultivate Bequests, Challenge Wills\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t
ProPublica reports on tactics St. Jude Children\u2019s Research Hospital employs to build one of the most lucrative charitable bequest programs in the U.S. "Think of all the fees for lawyers that didn\u2019t go to St. Jude, not one child, not one cancer patient. Where is the sanity in all this?\u201d said one person who won a court battle with St. Jude over a family member's estate.
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tProPublica: \t\t\t\t\t\tSt. Jude Fights Donors\u2019 Families In Court For Share Of Estates\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tMost Americans know St. Jude Children\u2019s Research Hospital through television advertisements featuring Hollywood celebrities asking for contributions or the millions of fundraising appeals that regularly arrive in mailboxes across the country. But a select group of potential donors is targeted in a more intimate way. Representatives of the hospital\u2019s fundraising arm visit their homes; dine with them at local restaurants; send them personal notes and birthday cards; and schedule them for \u201clove calls.\u201d (Armstrong and Gabrielson, 3\/21)\t\t\t\t
In other health care industry news \u2014
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tDetroit Free Press: \t\t\t\t\t\tHenry Ford Health System Gets New Name, Logo In Rebranding Campaign\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tThe familiar signature of auto baron Henry Ford will no longer be part of the logo for the health system he founded 107 years ago and that bears his name.\u00a0The Detroit-based Henry Ford Health System announced Tuesday that it is\u00a0changing its name \u2014 by dropping the word "system"\u00a0\u2014 and is updating its logo as it launches a massive rebranding for the first time in 28 years.\u00a0"It's something that we've been considering and evaluating for a period of time and we think the time is right for lots of reasons," said Wright Lassiter III, CEO of the newly renamed Henry Ford Health. (Jordan Shamus, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tModern Healthcare: \t\t\t\t\t\tTwo University Of Maryland Medical System Hospitals To Join Kaiser Network\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tTwo University of Maryland Medical System hospitals will partner with Kaiser in an effort to increase patient access to value-based care, the providers said Tuesday. The University of Maryland Medical System's St. Joseph Medical Center and Capital Region Medical Center will be designated as Kaiser Premier hospitals and help Kaiser Permanente physicians provide inpatient services to their patients. (Devereaux, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tStat: \t\t\t\t\t\tTeamHealth Hit With Alleged Overbilling Lawsuit, This Time From An Employer\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tA Louisiana employer filed a class-action lawsuit against TeamHealth, alleging the private-equity-backed physician staffing firm \u201cused a fraudulent and intentionally obfuscated scheme\u201d to overcharge employers for care their workers got in hospital emergency rooms. It\u2019s the first time employers \u2014 specifically those that are self-funded and therefore pay their own medical claims \u2014 have taken legal action against TeamHealth, which has repeatedly faced lawsuits with similar allegations from health insurance companies and patients. (Herman, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tBillings Gazette: \t\t\t\t\t\tState Investigating Patient Assault At Montana State Hospital\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tState officials and local law enforcement are investigating an assault on a patient by another patient at the state psychiatric hospital Monday evening, the state health department confirmed Tuesday. The attack comes at a moment for the Montana State Hospital where severe understaffing has contributed to the "immediate jeopardy" status imposed by the federal inspectors last month. The facility came in $7 million over budget this year after an increasing reliance on contract staff to supplement the ranks. A spokesperson for Providence St. Patrick Hospital, which has a Level II trauma center, did not immediately return a call seeking a status update on the victim. Sources say the victim was taken to a Missoula hospital. (Larson, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\tScience And Innovations\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUsing Brain Implant, Fully Paralyzed Man Spells Out His Thoughts\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t
The patient, 34, had been diagnosed a few years earlier with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and is now in a "locked-in" state. What did he ask for? Letter by letter, he made a request in German. Translated, he said: "For food I want to have curry with potato then Bolognese and potato soup.\u201d
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe New York Times: \t\t\t\t\t\tBrain Implant Allows Fully Paralyzed Patient To Communicate\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tIn 2020 Ujwal Chaudhary, a biomedical engineer then at the University of T\u00fcbingen and the Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering in Geneva, watched his computer with amazement as an experiment that he had spent years on revealed itself. A 34-year-old paralyzed man lay on his back in the laboratory, his head connected by a cable to a computer. A synthetic voice pronounced letters in German: \u201cE, A, D\u2026\u201dThe patient had been diagnosed a few years earlier with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which leads to the progressive degeneration of brain cells involved in motion. The man had lost the ability to move even his eyeballs and was entirely unable to communicate; in medical terms, he was in a completely locked-in state. (Moens, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tStat: \t\t\t\t\t\tWith \u2018Brain-Reading\u2019 Research, A Once-Tarnished Scientist Seeks Redemption\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tNiels Birbaumer, once a prominent neuroscientist at the University of T\u00fcbingen in Germany, fell hard from his pedestal three years back. He was accused of scientific misconduct for his controversial \u201cbrain-reading\u201d research, stripped of funding, and fired from his job. His work, which showed that people paralyzed with ALS could communicate with a brain-computer interface, was retracted by the journal that published it, PLOS Biology. Now, Birbaumer, who has fiercely defended his previous research, hopes to see his reputation restored. (Keshavan, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
In other science news \u2014
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tFox News: \t\t\t\t\t\tIdentical Twin Brothers Each Receive Heart Transplants: 'Quite Unique'\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tIdentical twins Donald and Ronald Crigler have been through just about everything together \u2014 including life-saving heart transplants.\u00a0The 48-year-old twins from the St. Louis area of Missouri were both diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, Donald in 2011 and Ronald in 2014.\u00a0Donald Crigler received his heart transplant in 2017, while Ronald Crigler received his six months ago, in September 2021. Both men underwent their procedures at Saint Luke\u2019s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Missouri. (Schmidt, 3\/23)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tStat: \t\t\t\t\t\tNew Results Against Covid May Point To Better Ways To Study Medicines\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tThe battle against Covid-19 has been marked by false hope, as too many people embraced would-be cures like hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin only to have rigorous studies fail to show the drugs had a benefit. One lesson is to only trust the most rigorous studies, known as randomized controlled clinical trials. But an equally important one: We need to get much better at conducting these rigorous studies more quickly and cheaply \u2014 and that goes beyond the Covid pandemic. This is not just a problem of science, but of infrastructure. (Herper, 3\/23)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tCNN: \t\t\t\t\t\tLong Covid Sheds Light On Chronic Illness: Meghan O'Rourke Q&A\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tAs Covid-19 infection rates fall, doctors and patients are sifting through the wreckage of symptoms left behind. Shortness of breath, heart palpitations, chest pain, fatigue and brain fog \u2014 those are just some of the ongoing complaints of a growing number of people, many of whom had only mild cases of acute Covid-19. "Long Covid," also known as post-acute sequelae of Covid-19, is associated with a whole host of problems involving multiple body systems, much like other chronic diseases that often go unrecognized and undiagnosed. Today, doctors and scientists are seeing epic spikes in immune dysregulation following Covid-19. (DuLong, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\tPublic Health\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Pandemic Drove US Alcohol-Related Deaths Up 25% In 2020\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t
Meanwhile, a separate study from Boston Children's Hospital showed referrals for intimate partner violence also increased during the pandemic. Suicide rates on the Golden Gate Bridge are part of another study, and Fox News covers the recently reauthorized Violence Against Women Act.
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tFox News: \t\t\t\t\t\tAlcohol-Related Deaths Jumped During COVID-19 Pandemic: Study\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tAlcohol-related deaths increased during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to researchers.\u00a0In a study published earlier this month, authors from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that the number and rate of deaths increased approximately 25% between 2019 and 2020 \u2013 from 78,927 to 99,017.\u00a0(Musto, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
In mental health news \u2014
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tCIDRAP: \t\t\t\t\t\tStudy: Referrals For Partner Violence Increased During Pandemic\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tA study today in Pediatrics from researchers at Boston Children's Hospital suggests that, even during a shift away from face-to-face care, there was an increase in referrals for intimate partner violence (IPV) after the start of the pandemic. Face-to-face consults dropped from 28% to 2% when referrals were compared from the 11 months prior to the start of the pandemic to April 2020 through February 2021. But during that period, there was a significant jump in consults (240 to 295), primarily for emotional abuse (195 to 264). (3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tFox News: \t\t\t\t\t\tCombating Online Relationship Abuse Requires Multipronged Approach\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tThe Violence Against Women Act, which President Biden reauthorized last week, should lead to significant strides in combating online abuse including cyberstalking and the nonconsensual distribution of sexually explicit images,\u00a0but leaders should explore additional opportunities to reduce the odds that online relationship abuse occurs in the first place through preventative education, rather than just providing redress for victims, according to\u00a0One Love. "While it\u2019s a crime to pull your pants down in the streets \u2014 a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by a fine or jail time \u2014 there was nothing stopping anyone from exposing themselves in your DMs, texts, or even via AirDrop, a\u00a0disturbing trend," Bumble\u00a0said. (Sudhakar, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tSan Francisco Chronicle: \t\t\t\t\t\tDoctors Studied More Than 2 Decades Of Golden Gate Bridge Jumps. Their Research Shows Why Some Manage To Survive\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tAs engineers gradually expand a suicide net beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, trauma surgeons in Marin are wrapping up what they hope will be the last report on people who survive a brutal 220-foot fall from the structure. Their research, which is undergoing peer review, offers a glimpse into the grim but intricate triage system used to pull people from the water and keep them alive. Few can withstand a crash at freeway speeds into the frigid waters of the bay, but doctors and emergency responders have managed to boost the odds of survival \u2014 from 2% historically to 3% since 2010. (Swan, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
In other public health news \u2014
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tNBC News: \t\t\t\t\t\tAtlanta, Minneapolis Had Sharp Upticks In Air Pollution Last Year, Report Finds\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tWildfires in the U.S. combined with the near-elimination of pandemic restrictions pushed air pollution levels in the U.S. back to pre-Covid levels in 2021, according to a report released Tuesday. IQAir, a Swiss company that monitors air quality around the world, said in the report that the U.S. as a whole saw a 7 percent increase in fine particle air pollution in 2021 compared to the previous year. Seven of the top 10 most populous cities in the United States have returned to pre-pandemic levels of air pollution, with Dallas, Miami and Washington, D.C., as the exceptions. (Thompson, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tAP: \t\t\t\t\t\tResearch Finds More Lyme-Carrying Ticks In Maine Forest\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tNew research shows ticks that can transmit Lyme disease have been increasing in abundance in a forest in the state\u2019s mid-coast region over the last three decades, according to researchers with a Maine university and hospital. Lyme disease is spread by infected deer ticks and can cause damage to joints and the nervous system if not treated. Researchers from the University of Maine and Maine Medical Center Research Institute\u2019s Lyme & Vector-Borne Disease Laboratory collected ticks from small mammals in Holt Research Forest in Arrowsic to track prevalence. (3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe Boston Globe: \t\t\t\t\t\tEviction Rates Higher In Communities Of Color During Pandemic, Report Finds\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tThe rate of eviction filings in Massachusetts during the pandemic was nearly twice as high in communities of color as it was in predominantly white neighborhoods, according to a report released Tuesday by the housing justice coalition Homes for All Massachusetts. In the year following the expiration of the state\u2019s eviction and foreclosure moratorium in October 2020, 55 percent of eviction filings in the state\u2019s six housing courts occurred in areas where the majority of residents identified as Black, Latino, Asian American\/Pacific Islander, or Indigenous, even though only 42 percent of the state\u2019s renters live in those neighborhoods. In particular, evictions were more common in places with larger percentages of Black and Latino renters, among households headed by single mothers, and in places with higher concentrations of corporate landlords. (Johnston, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe New York Times: \t\t\t\t\t\tMacKenzie Scott Gives $436 Million To Habitat For Humanity\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tMacKenzie Scott, who promised in 2019 that she would give away her fortune \u201cuntil the safe is empty,\u201d has donated $436 million to Habitat for Humanity International and its 84 affiliates, the organization said Tuesday. The gift is designed to help alleviate the global housing shortage and promote \u201cequitable access to affordable housing,\u201d Habitat for Humanity said in a statement. (Cramer, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\tState Watch\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOklahoma House Approves Near-Total Abortion Ban\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t
The few exceptions to the near-total ban, which uses Texas-style private citizen-suing tricks, include if pregnancy poses a risk to the mother. Meanwhile, in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed legislation that would lower out-of-pocket expenses for people seeking abortions.
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe 19th: \t\t\t\t\t\tOklahoma's House Passes A Texas-Style Ban On Almost All Abortions\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tOklahoma\u2019s state House on Tuesday voted 78-19 to pass a near complete ban on abortions, legislation that far surpasses Texas\u2019 six-week ban. The bill is now headed to the Senate and, if passed, will be the strictest anti-abortion bill in the country.\u00a0The legislation \u2014 known as House Bill 4327 \u2014 bars a physician from performing or inducing an abortion at any point in the pregnancy unless it is \u201cto save the life\u201d of the pregnant person. Similar to Texas\u2019 six-week abortion ban, the new legislation would allow private citizens to pursue civil actions of up to $10,000 against anyone who performs or \u201caids and abets in the provision of such an abortion.\u201d An \u201cemergency clause\u201d adopted means that, if the bill is signed into law, it would take effect immediately. (Padilla, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tAxios: \t\t\t\t\t\tOklahoma House Passes Near-Total Abortion Ban\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tThe Oklahoma House voted 78-19 Tuesday to ban all abortions unless it's necessary for saving a pregnant person's life. The bill, which would incentivize private citizens to sue anyone suspected of helping a person get an abortion, would surpass Texas' six-week abortion ban to become the most restrictive in the nation. The bill now heads to the state Senate. If signed into law, it would take effect immediately but would likely face legal challenges. (Chen and Gonzalez, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
California takes another step for abortion rights \u2014
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tSan Francisco Chronicle: \t\t\t\t\t\tNewsom Signs Bill To Prevent Health Insurance Companies, Plans From Charging Abortion Co-Pays, Fees\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tGov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Tuesday that officials said will reduce barriers to reproductive health care in California, namely by eliminating out-of-pocket costs for people seeking abortions and related services through health plans. The Abortion Accessibility Act, SB245, prevents health insurance companies from requiring co-pays, deductibles and other charges for abortions, and it prohibits them from imposing utilization management practices on covered reproductive health services, Newsom\u2019s office said in a statement. (Picon, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tAP: \t\t\t\t\t\tCalifornia Governor Signs Law Making Abortions Cheaper\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law on Tuesday that will make abortions cheaper for people on private insurance plans, the first of more than a dozen bills the state\u2019s Democratic leaders plan to pass this year to prepare for a potential U.S. Supreme Court ruling that could overturn Roe v. Wade. The new conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court is weighing whether to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that banned states from outlawing abortion. If they do, at least 26 states are likely to either ban abortion outright or severely limit access, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization that supports abortion rights. (Beam, 3\/23)\t\t\t\t
In other health news from across the U.S. \u2014
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tAP: \t\t\t\t\t\tBeshear Accuses Lawmakers Of 'Cruel' Votes On Veto Overrides\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tRepublican lawmakers cast votes that will \u201ckick struggling Kentuckians while they are down\u201d when they passed bills impacting jobless benefits and food assistance, Gov. Andy Beshear said Tuesday. The Democratic governor responded on social media a day after the GOP-led legislature voted to override his vetoes of the two measures. Both proposals now become state law. Meanwhile, the wrangling continued Tuesday over the measure ending Kentucky\u2019s two-year-old pandemic-related state of emergency a few weeks early. (Schreiner, 3\/23)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tChicago Tribune: \t\t\t\t\t\tState Fines Blue Cross And Blue Shield Of Illinois $339,000 For Violations\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tIllinois is fining the parent company of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois \u2014 the largest health insurer in the state \u2014 $339,000 for allegedly violating state law. Health Care Service Corp. is facing the penalty because it was late filing documents proving it\u2019s providing adequate networks of doctors and other providers to patients, according to the Illinois Department of Insurance. When Blue Cross stopped including the Springfield Clinic \u2014 a large, private multispecialty medical clinic in Springfield \u2014 in its network, it was supposed to submit updated filings to the state showing how it would continue to make sure patients in central Illinois would have adequate access to in-network doctors and providers, according to the Illinois Department of Insurance. (Schencker, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tSt.\u00a0Louis Post-Dispatch: \t\t\t\t\t\tMissouri Lawmakers Seek Lower Drug Prices With Plan To Regulate Pharmacy Benefit Managers\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tMissouri lawmakers waded into a nationwide fight between independent pharmacies and companies that negotiate prescription drug benefits on behalf of health insurers. With smaller, non-chain pharmacies claiming pharmacy benefit managers are unfairly setting drug prices and clawing back a percentage of sales later, the Missouri House debated legislation Tuesday that would regulate PBMs in an attempt to protect pharmacy access for Missourians. The proposal, which could address the ballooning cost of prescription drugs, brought support from pharmacists and opposition from major insurers during an earlier committee hearing. (Erickson, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe Boston Globe: \t\t\t\t\t\tSalem To Receive $1.3 Million In Opioid Settlement\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tSalem will receive $1.3 million over the next 16 years as part of the recent national settlement of lawsuits brought against a pharmaceutical company and drug distributors relating to the opioid crisis. The $26 billion agreement settled civil claims brought by states and localities against Janssen, Johnson & Johnson, and the distributors, McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen. Salem will receive $60,000 to $150,000 annually through 2038. All the funds will be directed toward opioid overdose prevention, education, and treatment. (Laidler, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tHealth News Florida: \t\t\t\t\t\tGovernor Receives A Bill That Would Create Student Epilepsy Plans\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tGov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday formally received an education bill that calls for creating individualized plans to care for students who have epilepsy or seizure disorders. Lawmakers unanimously passed the bill (HB 173) during the legislative session that ended last week. DeSantis will have until April 6 to act on it. The bill would require schools to create \u201cindividualized seizure action\u201d plans at the request of parents, with the plans providing guidelines for caring for students with epilepsy. (3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTrans Suicide Rates Influenced Utah Governor's Veto Of Sports Bill\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t
The move by Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, was explained in an "emotional plea" in an official letter Tuesday. But Utah lawmakers have already agreed to meet Friday to discuss an override of Cox's veto, to continue their efforts to suppress young trans students competing in girls sports.
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tNBC News: \t\t\t\t\t\tUtah Governor Cites Suicide Rates For Transgender Youth In Vetoing Sports Ban Bill: \u2018I Want Them To Live\u2019\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tUtah Gov. Spencer Cox made an emotional plea for compassion toward transgender youth Tuesday in explaining his decision to veto a bill banning transgender students from playing girls' sports. In a letter to the state's Senate president and House speaker, Cox told his fellow Republicans that he was moved by data showing that among 75,000 kids playing high school sports in Utah, only four were transgender, with just one involved in girls sports. … Cox also cited research on how a sense of belonging could reduce suicide rates among transgender youth, adding that while he struggled to understand "conflicting" science, he sought to employ kindness. (Richards, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tSalt Lake Tribune: \t\t\t\t\t\tUtah Lawmakers To Meet Friday To Override Gov. Cox\u2019s Veto On Bill To Ban Transgender Girls In Female School Sports\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tUtah legislative leaders on Tuesday announced their plan to meet this Friday for an override session minutes after Gov. Spencer Cox vetoed a bill that would prevent transgender girls from participating in school sports that match their gender identities. In a letter addressed to Senate President Stuart Adams and House Speaker Brad Wilson, Cox defended his decision to veto the proposed legislation. \u201cI know both of you are committed to these same ideals and that we have worked very hard together to resolve the many issues surrounding transgender student participation in sports. Unfortunately, HB11 has several fundamental flaws and should be reconsidered,\u201d Cox wrote. (Boj\u00f3rquez and Schott, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
In updates on transgender health in Indiana and Texas \u2014
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tIndianapolis Star: \t\t\t\t\t\tIndiana GOP Lawmakers Vow To Override Transgender Sports Ban Veto\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tGov. Eric Holcomb opposed lawmakers from his own party Monday when he vetoed legislation that would ban transgender girls from playing on girls sports teams at school.\u00a0Within hours, fellow Republicans began calling on the Indiana General Assembly to override the veto. Republicans hold a supermajority in both chambers of the Statehouse but only need a simple majority to override a veto.\u00a0Several have already said they'll vote for the override, which could be acted on as early as May when lawmakers return for a one-day special session to handle technical corrections.\u00a0(Herron, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tHouston Chronicle: \t\t\t\t\t\tIn Austin, Nancy Pelosi Decries \u2018Heinous\u2019 Investigations Of Texas Transgender Kids\u2019 Families\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tU.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday called Texas child abuse investigations into the families of transgender children one of the most \u201cheinous\u201d policies she has encountered in 35 years in public office. During an evening event at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library, Pelosi also took aim at Texas\u2019 new voting restrictions and near-total abortion ban. But her harshest words came for Gov. Greg Abbott\u2019s order to investigate parents for abuse if they provide their children with gender-affirming health care. \u201cFamilies embrace their child, and what is the right of the governor of this state … to intervene in that?\u201d Pelosi said. (Harris, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
And Florida’s governor continues his assault on LGBTQ+ rights \u2014
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tNBC News: \t\t\t\t\t\tDeSantis Slams NCAA And Lia Thomas, Declares Florida Swimmer 'Rightful Winner'\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an official proclamation Tuesday declaring a Florida resident the \u201crightful winner\u201d of an NCAA women\u2019s swimming championship race over transgender swimmer Lia Thomas. Thomas \u2014 the University of Pennsylvania swimmer whose record-breaking season has sparked national debate over whether trans women should compete on female sports teams \u2014 became the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA championship last week, placing first in the 500-yard freestyle race at the Division I finals in Atlanta on Thursday. (Lavietes, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe Wall Street Journal: \t\t\t\t\t\tDisney Workers Walk Out To Protest Company\u2019s Response To Florida Bill\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tSmall groups of Walt Disney Co. employees across the U.S. took Tuesday off from work and gathered to protest what they described as the company\u2019s continued failure to support LGBT employees. The walkouts mark the beginning of a third week of turmoil inside the entertainment giant as its leadership struggles to contain fallout from its bungled response to a Republican-led education bill in Florida, which many employees said targeted the LGBT community. (Whelan and Sayre, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tPolitico: \t\t\t\t\t\tFlorida Dems Back Down After LGBTQ Caucus Threatens Boycott Of Annual Gala Amid Disney Dust-Up\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tThe Florida Democratic Party late Tuesday night abruptly scrapped plans to hold its biggest annual fundraiser at Disney World after the party\u2019s LBGTQ caucus and other top Democrats threatened to boycott the event amid the fight over controversial anti-LGBTQ legislation. Florida Democratic Party Chair Manny Diaz, confronting a mounting crisis, acknowledged that he had heard the \u201cfeedback\u201d about holding its \u201cleadership Blue\u201d gala at Disney\u2019s Coronado Springs resort, which was blasted as \u201ctone deaf\u201d and led to a growing chorus of opposition. The party had announced the location of a gala on Monday. (Fineout, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\tGlobal Watch\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFirst Child Cancer Patients From Ukraine Arrive For US Treatment\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t
The arrival of four children with their families to St. Jude Children\u2019s Research Hospital marks the first time a U.S. facility has welcomed Ukrainian patients displaced during Russia's invasion \u2014 with reports saying 10 hospitals completely destroyed so far. Separately, refugees are reportedly stretching poor nations still impacted by covid.
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tAP: \t\t\t\t\t\tU.S. Hospital Welcomes First Ukraine Child Cancer Patients\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tFour Ukrainian children with cancer and their families arrived Tuesday at St. Jude Children\u2019s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, marking the first hospital in the U.S. to receive patients from Ukraine, officials announced. According to St. Jude, the families travelled aboard a U.S. government medical transport aircraft from Krakow, Poland. Some of the children held white unicorn stuffed animals and Ukrainian flags as they walked into the hospital, according to video provided by St. Jude. (Kruesi, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tCBS News: \t\t\t\t\t\tUkrainians Cope With Devastation As Government Says 10 Hospitals Have Been Completely Destroyed In Invasion\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tUkraine's government said 10 hospitals have been completely destroyed in Russia's invasion, including one that was decimated by a Russian missile strike on Monday.\u00a0"I want to cry, because we had a connection between Ukraine and Russia," doctor Anatoli Pavlov said. "Russian cruelty is so brutal." he U.S. has evidence that Russia is deliberately and intentionally targeting civilians, including hospitals and places of shelter, a senior Defense Department official told CBS News. The U.S. said it has seen clear evidence the Russians are committing war crimes as civilians are killed in their homes and on the street. (Williams, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe Wall Street Journal: \t\t\t\t\t\tUkraine War\u2019s Spillover Swamps Poor Countries Still Reeling From Covid-19\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tOver the past 120 years, a Beirut bakery has survived civil war, Lebanon\u2019s financial crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic. Fighting in Ukraine, disrupting food and energy supplies world-wide, may soon put it out of business. Zouhair Khafiyeh\u2019s storefront is empty of the pastries and meat-stuffed pies he has sold for years, which helped put his children through college. The cost of a bag of flour on the black market has gone up more than 1000% since Russia\u2019s Feb. 24 invasion. Mr. Khafiyeh has raised his prices by 50%, he said, and now bakes only when customers order and pay up front. \u201cWe cannot continue like this,\u201d said Mr. Khafiyeh, 54 years old. He fears he may have to close his bakery within a month. (Shah, Osseiran and Bariyo, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
Also \u2014
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tPolitico: \t\t\t\t\t\tGet Ready For \u2018Hell,\u2019 UN Food Chief Warns Amid Ukraine Shockwaves\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tThe head of the world\u2019s biggest food aid agency has a stark warning for European leaders: Pay more now to stave off global hunger or suffer a migration crisis later.\u00a0Russia's war in Ukraine has sent a shockwave through international food markets, worsening the already dire problem of global hunger by disrupting supply and inflating prices. That risks tipping the poorest, most famine-ravaged regions of the planet into political chaos and creating an unprecedented migration crisis, according to David Beasley, the World Food Programme\u2019s executive director.\u00a0In an interview with POLITICO, Beasley warned that Europe must donate more funding urgently or it will bear the brunt of the fallout.\u00a0(Wax, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe Washington Post: \t\t\t\t\t\tForest Fires Near Russian-Held Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Raise Radiation Fears, Ukraine Says\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tForest fires have broken out around the Chernobyl nuclear site, Ukraine\u2019s parliament said Monday, raising fears that radiation could spread from the defunct facility. At least seven fires within the closed-down plant\u2019s exclusion zone were observed on satellite imagery from the European Space Agency, the parliament said in a statement. The lawmakers blamed the blazes on Russian forces that captured the site in February. (Suliman, Stern and Mufson, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe Wall Street Journal: \t\t\t\t\t\tU.S. Rethinks Uranium Supply For Nuclear Plants After Russia\u2019s Invasion Of Ukraine\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tRussia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine has shaken the global market for uranium, a critical fuel for nuclear-power plants, prompting some in the U.S. to propose reviving domestic production. Russia enriches more uranium for use in nuclear plants than any other country in the world. Its increasing economic isolation following its attack on Ukraine\u2014and talk of potential added sanctions on Russian uranium\u2014have exposed the fragility of global nuclear-fuel supplies, which are controlled by a handful of countries. (Hiller, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPfizer, UNICEF Strike Covid Pill Supply Deal For Poor Nations\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t
Pfizer's covid treatment will now be supplied to 95 low- and middle-income countries. Meanwhile, the Washington Post discusses why the international Covax effort was "doomed to fail." Covid news in South Korea, Europe, South Africa, and elsewhere is also reported.
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tStat: \t\t\t\t\t\tPfizer Inks Deal With UNICEF To Supply Covid Pill To Poor Countries\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tAs part of an effort to widen access to its Covid-19 pill, Pfizer has reached a deal with UNICEF to supply up to 4 million treatment courses to 95 low- and middle-income countries representing 53% of the global population. But consumer advocates have quickly argued the move falls short. The agreement follows a deal the company reached last November with the Medicines Patent Pool, a public health organization backed by the United Nations, to supply its Paxlovid pill to the same 95 countries. The arrangement calls for the MPP to sub-license production rights to generic companies to then manufacture and distribute their own versions at lower prices than the Pfizer pill. (Silverman, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe Washington Post: \t\t\t\t\t\tWhy Covax, The Best Hope For Vaccinating The World, Was Doomed To Fall Short\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tIt was, many experts thought, a noble and necessary effort. The goal: to combat a deadly coronavirus that in early 2020 was already spreading around the world. The idea: to coax wealthy and poor countries to pool their money to place advance orders for vaccine doses. Participating countries would then share doses equitably to protect their most vulnerable people first. But just months into the effort, it should have been clear it was doomed to fall short. (Taylor, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
And more about the spread of covid around the world \u2014
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tReuters: \t\t\t\t\t\tS.Korea's Total COVID Cases Top 10 Million As Crematoria, Funeral Homes Overwhelmed\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tSouth Korea's total coronavirus infections topped 10 million, or nearly 20% of its population, authorities said on Wednesday, as surging severe cases and deaths increasingly put a strain on crematories and funeral homes nationwide. The country has been battling a record COVID-19 wave driven by the highly infectious Omicron variant even as it largely scrapped its once aggressive tracing and quarantine efforts and eased social distancing curbs. (Shin, 3\/23)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tBloomberg: \t\t\t\t\t\tEurope Hit By Covid Wave After \u2018Brutally\u2019 Easing Curbs, WHO Says\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tA third of European nations, including Germany, France and the U.K., are seeing a surge in Covid-19 cases after \u201cbrutally\u201d easing restrictions, the World Health Organization\u2019s regional head said. \u201cThe countries where we see in particular an increase are the United Kingdom, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, France, Italy and Germany,\u201d Hans Kluge, the WHO\u2019s director for Europe, said at a briefing in Moldova on Tuesday. \u201cThose countries are lifting restrictions brutally from too much to too few.\u201d (Matsuyama, 3\/23)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tAP: \t\t\t\t\t\tIdaho Dance Group Stuck In Ireland Because Of COVID-19\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tThe Red Hot Mamas musical-comedy group from Coeur d\u2019Alene, Idaho, gave a well-received performance at the March 17 St. Patrick\u2019s Festival Parade in Limerick, Ireland, but some members had to stay in the country longer than expected after testing positive for COVID-19. Trip leader Pam Ames says about half the group of 15 had to quarantine in Ireland this past week, although six participants who tested negative did fly home. (3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe New York Times: \t\t\t\t\t\tSouth Africa Begins To Lift Covid Restrictions But Leaves Its Indoor Mask Mandate.\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tSouth Africa will begin lifting Covid-19 restrictions on Wednesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Tuesday in an address that marked the start of what he called a \u201cnew era\u201d in the country\u2019s fight against the pandemic. Masks will no longer be required outdoors in South Africa but will continue to be required in public indoor spaces, including shops, offices and public transportation. (Patil, 3\/23)\t\t\t\t
In other global developments \u2014
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tStat: \t\t\t\t\t\tAurobindo, Major Generic Drug Maker, Will Close A Key U.S. Production Plant\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tAurobindo Pharma, which is based in India and is one of the largest global producers of generic medicines, is closing its U.S. manufacturing facility in New Jersey next month, according to a notice filed with the state Department of Labor. In its filing, the generic drug company disclosed it is terminating operations of its Aurolife Pharma unit in Dayton, N.J., and will eliminate a total of 99 jobs as of April 26. No further details were provided and calls to the facility were not returned. No one at Aurobindo headquarters in Hyderabad, India, could be reached for comment. (Silverman, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tAP: \t\t\t\t\t\t9 Million Children To Be Vaccinated Against Polio In Africa\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tA drive to vaccinate more than 9 million children against polio has been launched this week in four countries in southern and eastern Africa after an outbreak was confirmed in Malawi. The urgent vaccination campaign has started in Malawi where drops of the inoculation are being placed in the mouths of children across the country, including in the capital, Lilongwe, and the country\u2019s largest city, Blantyre. (3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tCIDRAP: \t\t\t\t\t\tWHO Calls For More TB Funds, Shorter Treatment For Kids\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tThe World Health Organization (WHO) announced new recommendations yesterday for diagnosing and treating children and young adolescents with tuberculosis (TB), including drug-resistant forms of the disease. The recommendations were among the items discussed at a press briefing in advance of World TB Day on Mar 24. WHO officials also shared their concerns about the ability to treat TB patients in Ukraine amid the destruction caused by the Russian invasion, and called for more international funding for TB diagnostics, treatment, and prevention. (Dall, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\tPrescription Drug Watch\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhthalates Linked To Childhood Cancers; Monoclonal Antibody Shows Encouraging Results Against CJD\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t
Read about the biggest pharmaceutical developments and pricing stories from the past week in KHN's Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tScienceDaily: \t\t\t\t\t\tExposure To Phthalates — The 'Everywhere Chemical' — May Increase Children's Cancer Risk\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tThe study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, suggests that exposure to medication-associated phthalates may contribute to the development of some childhood cancers, and that minimizing exposure to phthalates may help prevent some childhood cancers in the future. (University of Vermont, 3\/16)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tCIDRAP: \t\t\t\t\t\tExperimental Drug For Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Shows Some Promise\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tA potential treatment for the prion infection known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), developed by UK scientists, has shown "very encouraging" early results in six patients at University College London Hospitals (UCLH), according to a study yesterday in The Lancet Neurology. Researchers at the MRC Prion Unit at UCL developed a monoclonal antibody called PRN100 that was administered to six UCLH patients with CJD\u2014four women and six men\u2014from October 2018 to July 2019. (3\/17)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tScienceDaily: \t\t\t\t\t\tResearchers May Have Unlocked The Blood-Brain Barrier\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tThe brain is composed of billions of neurons — vulnerable cells that require a protective environment to function properly. This delicate environment is protected by 400 miles of specialized vasculature designed to limit which substances come into contact with the brain. This blood-brain barrier is essential for protecting the organ from toxins and pathogens. But it also blocks the passage of therapeutic drugs. (Yale University, 3\/16)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tCIDRAP: \t\t\t\t\t\tStudy Highlights Risk Of Low COVID Vaccine Uptake In Prison Staff\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tStanford University researchers report that 61% of custody staff and 36% of healthcare staff at California state prisons were unvaccinated against COVID-19 as of Jun 30, 2021, posing risks to inmates, other staff, and the surrounding community. (Beusekom, 3\/15)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tScienceDaily: \t\t\t\t\t\tMarijuana For Medical Use May Result In Rapid Onset Of Cannabis Use Disorder\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tA new study shows that using cannabis products to treat pain, anxiety and depression failed to improve these symptoms while doubling the risk of developing the addictive symptoms of cannabis use disorder. People seeking cannabis to treat symptoms of anxiety and depression were at greatest risk of CUD. Contrary to evidence-based medicine, people with medical marijuana cards choose their own products and dosing, suggesting the need for better controls over dispensing, use, and professional follow-up of these patients. (Massachusetts General Hospital, 3\/18)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe Lancet: \t\t\t\t\t\tLong-Term Treatment With Clozapine And Other Antipsychotic Drugs And The Risk Of Haematological Malignancies In People With Schizophrenia\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tClozapine is the most efficacious treatment for schizophrenia and is associated with lower overall mortality than are other antipsychotic drugs, despite the risk of agranulocytosis. Preliminary reports over the past 10 years suggest a possible risk of haematological malignancies, but the issue has remained unsettled. We aimed to study the risk of haematological malignancies associated with use of clozapine and other antipsychotics. (Tiihonen, MD, et al, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tJAMA: \t\t\t\t\t\tAssociation Of Type Of Oral Anticoagulant Dispensed With Adverse Clinical Outcomes In Patients Extending Anticoagulation Therapy Beyond 90 Days After Hospitalization For Venous Thromboembolism\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tAmong patients prescribed extended anticoagulant treatment after hospitalization for venous thromboembolism (VTE), is the type of oral anticoagulant prescribed beyond 90 days associated with different rates of adverse clinical outcomes? (Pawar, PhD, et al, 3\/15)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tScienceDaily: \t\t\t\t\t\tAntabuse May Help Revive Vision In People With Progressive Blinding Disorders\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tAnimal and cell studies show that as retinal cells die in degenerative eye diseases, they make other cells hyperactive, creating noise that further obscures vision. Tests to prove this in humans are hard to conduct, however. Antabuse, an approved drug used to wean people off alcohol, should tamp down this hyperactivity and conclusively show whether hyperactivity plays a role in humans, potentially driving work to find better drugs to help those with progressive vision loss. (University of California – Berkeley, 3\/18)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tScienceDaily: \t\t\t\t\t\tEffectiveness Of Antibiotics Significantly Reduced When Multiple Bugs Present\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tA study has found that much higher doses of antibiotics are needed to eliminate a bacterial infection of the airways when other microbes are present. It helps explain why respiratory infections often persist in people with lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis despite treatment. (University of Cambridge, 3\/19)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tScienceDaily: \t\t\t\t\t\tEngineering An 'Invisible Cloak' For Bacteria To Deliver Drugs To Tumors\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tColumbia Engineering researchers report that they have developed a "cloaking" system that temporarily hides therapeutic bacteria from immune systems, enabling them to more effectively deliver drugs to tumors and kill cancer cells in mice. By manipulating the microbes' DNA, they programmed gene circuits that control the bacteria surface, building a molecular "cloak'' that encapsulates the bacteria. (Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science, 3\/17)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPerspectives: Whistleblowers Ensure Drug Companies Play By The Rules\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tNewsweek: \t\t\t\t\t\tWhistleblowers Are Key To Reining In Prescription Drug Costs\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tWe are well past the time for figuring out how to tackle or at least temper the ever-escalating prices of our prescription drugs. Expanding the inflation rebate to Medicare offers at least one potential safeguard to keep drug pricing in check\u2014so do whistleblowers. (Gordon Schnell and Max Voldman, 3\/17)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe Morning Call: \t\t\t\t\t\tPrescription Prices: Give Medicare Power To Negotiate\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tPrescription drugs don\u2019t work if people can\u2019t afford them. As someone who is affected by the shockingly high cost of prescription drugs that is only getting higher, I\u2019m grateful to see Congresswoman Susan Wild speaking out about this issue. Recently, Wild, D-7th District, and 39 other House Democrats \u2014 including several from Pennsylvania \u2014 signed a letter calling on Congressional leadership to take immediate action and pass legislation that will give Medicare the power to negotiate the price of prescription drugs and bring down the high cost of medications for all Americans. (Donna Bowers, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe CT Mirror: \t\t\t\t\t\tFix Connecticut Prescription Costs In Ways That Help People Directly\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tRarely in our history has the power of science and innovation to keep our communities safe and healthy been in such clear focus. And while vaccines have been grabbing headlines, for those of us in public health, we know that access to preventative treatments and medications is the best way to keep our population healthy and living full, productive lives. (Dawn Hocevar, 3\/18)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe Star Tribune: \t\t\t\t\t\tBill Would Bring Relief On Drug Costs\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tMore Minnesotans than ever rely on prescription drugs to manage diseases that once were fatal or debilitating. These drugs can be lifesaving, but often come with price tags that can prove disruptive to care. One study found 4 out of 10 cancer patients abandon their treatment when it costs more than $2,000.As a small-business owner in Bemidji and a health care provider in Rochester, we understand the different sides of these challenges. What brings us together today is our enthusiasm for a legislative proposal that makes drug costs more manageable for some Minnesotans without hurting coverage for others. (Tom Vanderwal and Andrew Herber, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tAtlanta Journal-Constitution: \t\t\t\t\t\tThe Time I Bought Marijuana For My Son In A Petco Parking Lot\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tBack during my son\u2019s two-year fight against an aggressive bone cancer, he was continually devastated by chemo treatments and the ensuing nausea. The doctors were always chasing that nausea, prescribing one drug after another for relief, a routine that was very hit and miss. Often miss. It was a hellish existence for Michael and very dire for my wife and I who had to helplessly watch our child suffer so miserably. (Bill Torpy, 3\/23)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\tEditorials And Opinions\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tViewpoints: Covid's Toll On Our Mental Health Becoming Apparent; Ideas To Make Health Care More Affordable\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t
Opinion writers weigh in on these covid-related topics, as well as insurance and prescription drug cost issues.
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tMiami Herald: \t\t\t\t\t\tLooser Pandemic Restrictions Reveal Mental-Health Crisis\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tCOVID-19 appears to be on the wane. But a – crisis may fill the void left by the virus. Some experts say the damage could last a generation. Since the earliest days of the pandemic, social workers have served on the front lines, providing essential mental-health services to those in need. As lockdowns hit and deaths multiplied, social workers helped individuals and families cope with anxiety, depression, grief and isolation. (Angelo McClain, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe New York Times: \t\t\t\t\t\tThe Next Covid Wave Is Probably Already On Its Way\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tThe most important lesson of the Covid pandemic is that the only constant is change. Variants spread, cases surge and abate, treatments change and knowledge expands. This means that we \u2014 the public, elected officials and public health leaders \u2014 need to learn constantly and adapt quickly, acting on the insight that no one policy response is likely to stay effective for long. (Tom Frieden, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tRoll Call: \t\t\t\t\t\t\u2018We Don't Know That\u2019: A Curious Answer About Biden And A 20-Year-Old Getting COVID\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tQuestions about the health of a 79-year-old head of state will always be risky business. The answers always are telling \u2014 sometimes, however, what\u2019s sound medically can be lacking politically. Senior aides to older leaders handle queries about sniffles, limps, water glass-holding, annual physicals and, now, COVID-19 in a manner of ways. Over the years, some presidents have dispatched their military doctors to throw open \u2014 to some extent \u2014 their medical charts and let the world know how healthy they are. Such reports have been delivered with varying degrees of believability. (John T. Bennett, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tStat: \t\t\t\t\t\tPharma Executives Shouldn't Be Driving Covid-19 Vaccine Policy\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tIn a March 13 interview with CBS, Albert Bourla, Pfizer\u2019s CEO, said his company intended to apply to the Food and Drug Administration for authorization of a fourth mRNA vaccine dose and implied that this was something all adults needed. Two days later, it did just that \u2014 but only for adults over 65. That same day, Stephen Hoge, Moderna\u2019s president, took a different perspective: that a fourth dose of his company\u2019s mRNA vaccine wasn\u2019t required for all adults but could benefit older and immunocompromised Americans. Two days later, Moderna announced it was requesting FDA authorization of a fourth vaccine dose for everyone aged 18 or over. (John P. Moore and Luciana L. Borio, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe Atlantic: \t\t\t\t\t\tWhat Americans Really Think About The Pandemic\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tRecent opinion surveys give mixed messages about how Americans perceive the current state of the pandemic, and what they think we should do about it. In a February Washington Post\/ABC News poll, for example, 58 percent of Americans said that controlling the spread of the coronavirus is more important than loosening restrictions on normal activities. In a Yahoo News\/YouGov poll conducted the same week, 51 percent said we need to learn to live with COVID-19 and get back to normal. (Natalie Jackson, 3\/23)\t\t\t\t
Also \u2014
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tGeorgia Health News: \t\t\t\t\t\tU.S. Health Care Still Lags On Affordability\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tMany years ago, I had lunch with Dr. Uwe Reinhardt, a distinguished health care economist, who was a speaker at a national conference for hospital CEOs put on by the organization employing me. In a good-humored way, he made clear to me that the United States did not have the best health care in the world, no matter what our politicians liked to say. Obviously, the troubled situation of our health care system start did not start with the Covid-19 pandemic, as extraordinary an upheaval as that was. Pre-Covid, there were numerous excellent studies and reports regarding the excessive costs plaguing the U.S. system. (Jack Bernard, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tKansas City Star: \t\t\t\t\t\tKansas Representative: US Diabetics Need Insulin Copay Cap\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tMy first experience with America\u2019s broken health care system came when I fell into a diabetic coma at the age of 12. After three months in the hospital, a medical social worker enrolled me in Medicaid to cover insulin costs. But my family was left with crippling debt from my hospital stay. This was only the beginning of the nightmare that is living with diabetes in America. (Heather Meyer, 3\/23)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tDetroit News: \t\t\t\t\t\tCongress Must Make Immunization Affordable For Seniors\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tThere isn\u2019t anything we wouldn\u2019t do to protect our parents, our grandparents and seniors across Michigan who we love.\u00a0The pandemic has taught and reminded us a lot about what really matters in life \u2014 and the importance of our friends and family. It\u2019s also reminded us about the importance of access to health care and prevention \u2014 especially among Michigan\u2019s most at-risk populations.\u00a0Unfortunately, we\u2019ve learned that a cost-sharing provision in the Medicare Part D program may be impacting Michigan seniors by making it harder than it needs to be to get the immunizations they need. (Saul Anuzis, 3\/20)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDifferent Takes: Connecticut Bill Would Help Curb Lead Exposure; Colorado Should Take Bigger Steps On Abortion\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t
Editorial writers delve into these public health issues.
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe CT Mirror: \t\t\t\t\t\tLead Toxicity Is Still A Problem In Connecticut: H.B. 5045 Can Help\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tIn the past two years most people have spent more time at home shielding from possible exposure to a deadly virus. We assume we are safer at home \u2013 but what if our homes are not as safe as we think? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that over 5 million homes across the country expose families to high levels of lead, which can permanently affect our brains, especially children.\u00a0Nationally, one in five children have elevated blood lead levels. Children living in Connecticut are particularly vulnerable, in part because 70% of homes in Connecticut were built prior to the 1978 ban on lead paint. And due to the pandemic, children have spent more time at home than ever before, so clinicians and educators fear an imminent surge in lead toxicity. (Ada Fenick MD, Shashwat Kala and Madisen Swallow, 3\/23)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tDenver Post: \t\t\t\t\t\tMake Roe V. Wade Irrelevant In Colorado\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tThere is still a chance that the U.S. Supreme Court won\u2019t overturn decades of constitutional legal precedent guaranteeing that women in this country have the right to make fundamental decisions about their bodies, futures and health without government intervention. However, in December, the Supreme Court\u2019s oral arguments about a 15-week abortion ban in Mississippi did not inspire confidence in some justices\u2019 dedication to American jurisprudence. (3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tScientific American: \t\t\t\t\t\tWhat Quantum Mechanics Can Teach Us About Abortion\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tThe ways people conceptualize and discuss abortion will become more important in coming years. The Supreme Court\u2019s upcoming ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women\u2019s Health could overturn 50 years of national precedent establishing abortion as a fundamental right of individuals prior to fetal viability. (Cara C. Heuser, 3\/21)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tStat: \t\t\t\t\t\tThe Case For Decriminalizing The Street Sale Of Buprenorphine\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tIsolation and anxiety caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has fueled an already out of control overdose crisis. In 2020 alone, more than 100,000 individuals died from overdose. With overdose rates reaching unfathomable heights, dramatic steps are needed to stem the loss of life. The Department of Health and Human Services took one important step by eliminating a special training requirement \u2014 obtaining a so-called X waiver \u2014 for clinicians to be able to prescribe buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist used to treat opioid use disorder. This drug helps people avoid opioids by reducing opioid cravings and withdrawal symptoms. (John C. Messinger, Anand Chukka and J. Wesley Boyd, 3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tStat: \t\t\t\t\t\tGoogle Still Has A Problem With Stem Cell And Unproven Therapies\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tHey, Google: Remember that stem cell problem you tried to fix in 2019 by banning clinics from advertising unproven therapies on your platform? The solution didn\u2019t last. Clinics have adapted, but you haven\u2019t, leading to widespread use of your search platform by clinics to pitch risky cell injections. (Paul Knoepfler, 3\/23)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tThe Baltimore Sun: \t\t\t\t\t\tPaid Family And Medical Leave In Maryland: Don\u2019t Lose Momentum Now, Legislators\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tA slew of bills on significant issues \u2014 with significant details still to be worked out \u2014 survived the first 69 days and countint of analysis in the Maryland General Assembly, including the flurry of activity that accompanied \u201cCrossover Day\u201d on Monday, passing through one legislative chamber to the next for consideration. Among the topics with differing visions from legislators: abortion rights, climate change mitigation and how to divvy up $350 million worth of planned tax relief. But perhaps the biggest surprise is the chasm between the Maryland House and Senate chambers regarding state-wide paid family and medical leave, a subject that\u2019s been under discussion for years and the focus of work groups, studies and prior failed legislation. (3\/22)\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tCrain's Chicago Business: \t\t\t\t\t\tThis Bill Gives Consumers A Leg Up When Battling Insurance Giants\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\tRecently in a piece titled \u201cLawsuit sweepstakes,\u201d\u00a0the American Property Casualty Insurance Association attacked SB 1099 and the consumer legal funding industry by claiming they are suddenly concerned about protecting consumers. As a former partner at a large insurance defense firm and one of the founding fathers of the consumer legal funding industry, let me explain what is really behind the false attacks. (Brian Garelli, 3\/21)\t\t\t\t
\tWe want to hear from you: Contact Us<\/a>
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBlack Therapists Fight to Be Seen on TikTok. When They Are, They Find Solidarity.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAs States Impose Abortion Bans, Young Doctors Struggle \u2014 And Travel Far \u2014 To Learn the Procedure\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAs a Nurse Faces Prison for a Deadly Error, Her Colleagues Worry: Could I Be Next?\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPatients With Vulnerable Immune Systems Worry Vaccine Exemptions May Put Them In Peril\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Kaiser Health News Original Stories As States Impose Abortion Bans, Young Doctors Struggle \u2014 And Travel Far \u2014 To Learn the Procedure The number of medical schools and residency programs where aspiring physicians can learn to perform abortion procedures continues to shrink, a byproduct of the anti-abortion legislation being enacted in multiple states. (Sarah Varney, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":869,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/linksus2.linksus.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1554"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/linksus2.linksus.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/linksus2.linksus.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linksus2.linksus.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/869"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linksus2.linksus.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1554"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/linksus2.linksus.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1554\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/linksus2.linksus.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1554"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linksus2.linksus.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1554"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linksus2.linksus.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1554"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}