Thursday, March 31, 2022

From Kaiser Health News – Latest Stories:

‘The Danger Is Still There’ ― As Omicron Lurks, Native Americans Are Wary of Boosters

Federal data shows that vaccination rates for American Indians and Alaska Natives were some of the highest in the nation, but tribes say resistance has slowed efforts to boost members. (Rachana Pradhan, 4/1 )

Despite Doctors’ Concerns, Pharmacists Get More Leeway to Offer Treatment With Testing

In the battle against covid, pharmacies became a key place for consumers to seek vaccines and testing. Some states are expanding pharmacists’ work to include directly prescribing drugs for customers who seek some routine, point-of-care tests, such as those for flu or strep throat. But doctor groups oppose the move. (Michelle Andrews, 4/1 )

Tennessee Offers to Expand Dental Schools as Medicaid Coverage Stretches Need

As states expand Medicaid’s dental benefits, they’re running up against a shortage of dentists willing to work on those patients, especially in rural communities. So Tennessee is helping dental schools expand and offering to pay off student loans for those who work in high-need areas. (Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio, 4/1 )

Pandemic Funding Is Running Out for Community Health Workers

Illinois used federal pandemic money to hire community health workers who connect people with food banks and rental assistance programs, just like public health officials have long hoped to do. What will happen to the community trust that has been built up when the federal money runs out and the workers disappear? (Lauren Weber, 4/1 )

Reaction to the RaDonda Vaught Verdict: KHN Wants to Hear From Nurses

KHN is asking nurses and other medical professionals to weigh in on the conviction of RaDonda Vaught, a former Tennessee nurse who administered the wrong drug to a patient, killing her. ( 4/1 )

Political Cartoon: ‘It’s Going Tibia Okay’

Kaiser Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with “Political Cartoon: ‘It’s Going Tibia Okay'” by Mike Peters.

Here’s today’s health policy haiku:

SPECIAL TREATMENT FOR CELEBRITIES

NY policy:
All folks must be vaxxed except
the rich and famous

– Timothy Kelley

If you have a health policy haiku to share, please Contact Us and let us know if you want us to include your name. Keep in mind that we give extra points if you link back to a KHN original story.

KHN is now on TikTok! Watch our videos and follow along here as we break down health care headlines and policy.

Summaries Of The News:

CDC Launches COVID.gov To Help Americans Access Antivirals, Tests, Shots

The new federal website bills itself as a one-stop toolkit to find covid vaccines, treatments and testing and to look up CDC community level data.

NPR: A New Federal Website Aims To Solve A Key COVID Problem: Where To Get Antiviral Pills
The search for COVID vaccines, tests and treatments could get easier Wednesday with the White House launch of COVID.gov, a website meant to be a one-stop shop for everything from free high quality masks to antiviral pills. “We could not have done this six or eight months ago because we didn’t have all the tools we have now,” said White House COVID response coordinator Jeff Zients in an interview with NPR. With the website launch, the White House is following through on a promise President Biden made in his State of the Union address. In that speech he announced a test-to-treat program “so people can get tested at a pharmacy, and if they’re positive, receive antiviral pills on the spot at no cost.” (Keith, 3/30)

CIDRAP: White House Launches ‘One-Stop’ Website For COVID-19 Needs
President Joe Biden today announced the launch of covid.gov, a new one-stop shop for finding COVID-19 vaccines, masks, tests, and treatments by county on an easy-to-use website. “We are in a new moment in this pandemic, it does not mean it’s over, it means it no longer controls our lives,” Biden said, before announcing he was getting his second booster dose of vaccine later this afternoon. “Thanks to the foundation we have laid, America has the tools to fight the virus.” (Soucheray, 3/30)

In other news about the CDC and Biden’s health czar —

New York Post: CDC Chief Defends Ties To Teachers Unions On School Reopenings
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky defended the agency caving to teachers unions on school reopening guidance last year, insisting they were needed to keep classrooms from closing down again. The Post reported in May 2021 that a top official at the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) relayed suggestions from the union during the planning of the nationwide school reopening guidance released by the agency the previous February. (Patteson, 3/30)

PBS NewsHour: WATCH: Surgeon General Murthy, CDC Director Walensky Testify On Efforts To Move Beyond COVID-19
“We must work to stay ahead of this virus by amplifying bipartisan messaging to reinforce the importance of vaccinations and boosters to save lives,” said Walensky. The officials spoke on how the Biden Administration’s National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan would continue to curb virus cases in the U.S. and prevent further pandemic disruptions if it is fully funded by Congress. “The president’s budget released this week provides a roadmap to be more prepared for the next public health emergency,” said Walensky. (3/30)

Politico: Private Concerns Mount About Biden’s New Covid Czar
When President Joe Biden tapped Ashish Jha as the new leader of his coronavirus response, he hailed the well-known public health expert as the “perfect person” to steer the nation through the next phase of the pandemic. Not everyone is as convinced as Biden. In the weeks since Jha’s announcement, administration officials’ surprise over the selection has given way to skepticism, with some privately questioning how an academic well known for his television commentary will manage a complex operation that touches every part of the federal bureaucracy. (Cancryn, 3/30)

Biden Might Soon End Trump-Era Public Health Policy On Immigration

Pandemic restrictions have largely blocked migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border from entering the country. According to CNN and US Customs and Border Protection data, 1.7 million migrants have been sent back to Mexico or their origin country since March 2020.

CNN: Biden Administration Plans To End Pandemic Border Restrictions In May, Sources Say
The Biden administration is planning to end Trump-era pandemic restrictions on the US-Mexico border by May 23 that have largely blocked migrants from entering the US, according to three US officials. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is finalizing its assessment of the public health authority, known as Title 42, according to CDC spokeswoman Kathleen Conley, and is expected to announce a decision this week on whether to repeal, modify or extend the authority. The Biden administration has been under mounting pressure from Democrats and immigrant advocates to end the public health authority, which critics say was never justified by science and puts migrants in harm’s way. (Alvarez, Collins, Liptak and Goodman, 3/30)

Politico: Biden Weighs Phased Out End Of Trump-Era Deportation Policy
The decision is not yet final, though administration officials have suggested in private conversations with lawmakers and advocates that a phase out is their most likely path. Earlier this month, the Biden administration announced it would no longer apply Title 42 to unaccompanied migrant children arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border. An announcement could come as early as Thursday evening, those sources said, though the implementation of the new policy would take longer. (Barron-Lopez, Ferris and Cancryn, 3/30)

In other updates on border and travel restrictions —

NPR: CDC Drops Risk Advisory For Cruise Ship Travel, 2 Years Into The COVID Pandemic
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has lifted its risk advisory for cruise ship travel Wednesday following two years of issuing warnings to travelers about the possibility of contracting COVID-19 onboard a cruise. In an update posted online, the agency removed its “Cruise Ship Travel Health Notice,” a notice that recommended individuals against traveling onboard cruise ships. Three months ago, the CDC increased its travel warnings for cruises to Level 4 — the highest level — following investigations of ships that had COVID outbreaks. While the CDC has lifted its travel health notice, officials say it’s up to the passengers to determine their own health risks before going onboard a cruise ship. (Franklin, 3/30)

CNN: CDC Adds No New Destinations To Its Highest-Risk Category
The CDC’s weekly update of travel health advisories has some of the most encouraging news for tourists it’s had in months. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not add a single new destination on Monday to its highest-risk category for travel. This hopeful respite comes after months and months of discouraging additions to its Level 4 category, in which destinations are considered “very high” risk for Covid-19. (Brown and Hunter, 3/28)

CNBC: Delta’s Health Chief Thinks The Plane Mask Mandate Will Soon Be Lifted
Delta Air Lines Chief Health Officer Henry Ting said that he believes that the federal mask mandate for airports and airplanes will be lifted on “April 18th or shortly thereafter.” Speaking at CNBC’s Healthy Returns event on Wednesday, Ting said that while he does not know if the mandate will come down on April 18, the CDC, TSA, and the White House are all “looking closely at this” and will “certainly provide a roadmap.” “We’ve always known from the beginning of the pandemic that all restrictions should be lifted as soon as it’s safe to do so,” Ting said, adding that there is a transition occurring right now from “a global pandemic to a seasonal respiratory virus.” (Thomas, 3/30)

Covid Aid Package Shrinking As Senators Seek A Deal

Down from a proposed $15.6 billion, senators are now considering $10 billion in funding to keep federal government covid response efforts afloat. With a two-week congressional break approaching, the White House presses lawmakers on the importance of approving the money before leaving town.

The Hill: Senators Shrinking Size Of COVID Deal Amid Disagreements
A group of senators negotiating a potential deal for new coronavirus relief is preparing to scale back the overall size of the package amid a disagreement over how to pay for it, sources told The Hill. The bipartisan group has been negotiating for days over how to revive the $15.6 billion in coronavirus aid that got stripped out of a government funding bill earlier this month, with senators indicating earlier Wednesday that they agreed on the size of a potential deal. (Carney, 3/30)

The Hill: Senators Trade Offers In Scramble For Coronavirus Deal
Senators are swapping offers as they scramble to try to get a deal on coronavirus relief before they leave for a two-week break in a matter of days. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) met Wednesday with Sens. Mitt Romney (Utah), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Richard Burr (N.C.) and Roy Blunt (Mo.), who are negotiating for Republicans. He then met for a second time with members of the group and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the chairwoman of the Senate Health Committee, on Wednesday night. (Carney, 3/31)

Politico: The Next Phase Of Covid Depends On The Senate
Here’s a scary thought: America’s ability to face the pandemic’s next phase may depend on a handful of senators. The talks between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) entered their most urgent stage yet on Wednesday, as the two spearhead an effort to allocate $15.6 billion to fight the pandemic. The Democratic leader and Republican centrist convened a larger group on Wednesday afternoon to see if there is a real chance at a bipartisan bill before the April 9 congressional recess; the meeting broke without a deal but a vow to keep talking. (Everett and Levine, 3/30)

Also —

CNBC: Biden Warns U.S. Won’t Have Enough Covid Vaccine Shots Without Aid From Congress
President Joe Biden warned Wednesday that the U.S. will not have enough Covid vaccine shots this fall to ensure free and easy access for all Americans if Congress fails to pass the $22.5 billion in additional funding the administration has requested. Biden said the U.S. has enough supply to ensure people eligible for fourth shots have access to them. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week recommended an additional Pfizer or Moderna dose for people ages 50 and older, as well as certain younger individuals who have compromised immune systems. Biden, 79, received his fourth dose on live television after his remarks. (Kimball, 3/30)

Vanity Fair: Surgeon General: Without More Covid Prevention Funding, U.S. At Risk Of “Backsliding”
Congressional Republicans are blocking additional investments into Covid-19 prevention demanding a “real accounting” of how previous dollars were spent. Already the government has run out money to buy enough booster shots, and is slowing distributions of antibody treatments. (Lutz, 3/29)

KHN: Pandemic Funding Is Running Out For Community Health Workers
As a community health worker, 46-year-old Christina Scott is a professional red-tape cutter, hand-holder, shoulder to cry on, and personal safety net, all wrapped into one. She works in an office in the shadow of the steel mill that employed her grandfather in this shrinking city in the Greater St. Louis area. Gone with many of the steel jobs is some of the area’s stability — almost a fifth of Granite City’s residents live in poverty, far higher than the national average. (Weber, 3/31)

Biden Gets Boosted Again With Fourth Shots Now Open To Older Americans

Following up on his September covid vaccine booster, President Joe Biden got his second booster dose during an on-camera event Wednesday. In other news reports, public health experts provide timing advice to people 50 and up who may be weighing an additional shot.

CBS News: Biden Receives Second Booster Shot And Marks “New Moment” In Pandemic
President Biden on Wednesday said the U.S. has reached a “new moment” in the COVID-19 pandemic, as the U.S. has the tools to protect people and the virus “no longer controls our lives.” Mr. Biden, 79, received his second COVID-19 booster shot on camera Wednesday, one day after the Food and Drug Administration authorized a new round of Moderna and Pfizer vaccine doses for Americans over 50. The president, who received his initial booster in September, is one of the 34 million Americans now eligible to receive a second booster shot. (Watson and Jiang, 3/30)

And more on booster shots —

NBC News: Many People Eligible For Second Booster Shot Don’t Need To Race, Experts Say
The Food and Drug Administration has authorized a second Covid-19 booster shot for people ages 50 and older, but several public health experts said younger, healthier members of that group don’t necessarily need a fourth shot as soon as they become eligible. “This is one of those where I don’t think anyone needs to race,” Dr. Richard Besser, former acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told NBC’s “TODAY” show on Wednesday. “This is one of those things where people should think thoughtfully.” (Li, 3/30)

The Baltimore Sun: FDA Authorizes Another COVID Booster Shot But Experts Say Some People Probably Can Safely Wait
Federal regulators said this week they would allow a second booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for older people and those with medical conditions, leaving the public to decide if and when to get another shot. Even though boosters were recommended, there hasn’t been huge uptake nationally since the first boosters were authorized last fall. That’s a third shot after two Pfizer-BioNTech or Modera doses and a second shot after one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for those 12 and older. (Cohn, 3/31)

NPR: 2nd Booster For Over 50? Here’s How To Decide If You Need One
Dr. Bob Wachter, chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco, says he personally plans to sign up for a second booster. “I’m 64 and pretty healthy,” he says. “But the evidence is clear that six months out from my first booster shot, the effectiveness of that booster has waned considerably.” He says another dose will boost his immunity and decrease the probability of infection. “The benefits are very real,” Wachter says. But for people under 60 it’s less clear a second booster is necessary. (Godoy, Aubrey and Greenhalgh, 3/30)

Houston Chronicle: Second COVID-19 Booster Shot Now Available For Texans Who Are 50-Plus Or Immunocompromised
Immunocompromised Texans, as well as those 50 and older, can now receive a second COVID-19 booster shot. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the shots on Tuesday, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated federal guidance shortly after that. The doses “are available immediately to those eligible,” said Douglas Loveday, a spokesman for Texas’ health department. (Harris, 3/30)

In related news about Native Americans and covid —

KHN: ‘The Danger Is Still There’ ― As Omicron Lurks, Native Americans Are Wary Of Boosters
When covid-19 vaccines first became available, Native Americans acted swiftly and with determination to get their shots — as though they had everything to lose. Covid hospitalization and death rates for American Indians and Alaska Natives had skyrocketed past those of non-Hispanic whites. Leveraging established systems like the Indian Health Service and tribal organizations, Native Americans urgently administered vaccines. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed they achieved the highest vaccination rates of any race or ethnicity. (Pradhan, 3/31)

Modern Healthcare: Hospital COVID-19 Mortality Rates Double For Native Americans
American Indian and Alaska Native populations experienced in-hospital COVID-19 mortality rates two to three times higher than all other races, as well as some of the top COVID-19 hospitalization and mortality rates in the U.S. overall, a new study found. Despite having proportionally lower comorbidity risk scores than Black and white patients, American Indian and Alaska Native patients were more likely to die in the hospital due to COVID-19 than Black or white patients at every level of comorbidity risk, according to a JAMA Network Open report on Wednesday. (Devereaux, 3/30)

Ivermectin Fails To Guard People With Covid From Hospitalization: Study

Researchers in a large clinical study based in Brazil also found that the anti-parasitic ivermectin provided no benefit in other health measures like viral clearance after a week, speed of recovery or risk of death. The researchers ruled the drug out as an effective covid treatment.

The New York Times: Ivermectin Does Not Reduce Risk Of Covid Hospitalization, Large Study Finds
The anti-parasitic drug ivermectin, which has surged in popularity as an alternative treatment for Covid-19 despite a lack of strong research to back it up, showed no sign of alleviating the disease, according to results of a large clinical trial published on Wednesday. The study, which compared more than 1,300 people infected with the coronavirus in Brazil who received either ivermectin or a placebo, effectively ruled out the drug as a treatment for Covid, the study’s authors said. “There’s really no sign of any benefit,” said Dr. David Boulware, an infectious-disease expert at the University of Minnesota. (Zimmer, 3/30)

Bloomberg: Ivermectin Failed To Cut Covid Hospitalizations In Large Study
Scientists in Brazil who followed more than 1,300 patients assigned to take either the drug or a placebo for three days also found that ivermectin treatment didn’t help with a number of other health measures such as viral clearance after a week, speed of recovery or risk of death. The study results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. (Fourcade, 3/31)

Fortune: Study Finds Ivermectin, The Horse Drug Joe Rogan Championed As A COVID Treatment, Does Nothing To Cure The Virus
When doctors and scientists scoured for a cure to COVID-19 during the early days of the pandemic, initial studies suggested a number of potential cures that turned out to be bogus. But few dubious solutions have had the staying power of ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug used to treat large farmyard animals. Ivermectin has been promoted as an “alternative” COVID cure by the likes of podcast host Joe Rogan—who has supported the horse deworming drug over COVID vaccines, even using it himself—and doctors have prescribed the treatment to COVID patients. In small doses, ivermectin can be prescribed to treat head lice or other parasites in humans, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved the drug as a COVID treatment. (Barrett, 3/31)

Read the full study in the New England Journal of Medicine —

Effect of Early Treatment with Ivermectin among Patients with Covid-19

Omicron Covid Hit Young People Worse, Vaxxed Or Not

Reports in The New York Times and Bloomberg show vaccines offered reduced protection for adolescents during the omicron surge, and that unvaccinated children also experienced more severe omicron infections and deaths than for previous waves. Low U.S. rates for vaccinated kids are also in the news.

The New York Times: Covid Vaccines Did Not Protect Adolescents As Effectively During The Omicron Surge
In yet another twist to the debate over how best to protect children against the coronavirus, researchers reported on Wednesday that Covid vaccines conferred diminished protection against hospitalization among children 12 and older during the latest Omicron surge. Vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization held steady in children aged 5 to 11 years, however, and among adolescents ages 12 to 18 years, two doses of the vaccine remained highly protective against critical illness requiring life support. (Mandavilli, 3/30)

Bloomberg: Omicron More Severe For Unvaccinated Children Than Other Strains
The omicron variant of Covid-19 has been linked to more hospitalizations, severe complications and deaths of young children than previous waves of the virus, suggesting the highly contagious strain may not be as mild as initially thought, according to a Hong Kong-based study. Researchers from the University of Hong Kong and Princess Margaret Hospital reviewed child hospitalizations during different stages of the pandemic. They found that cases were far more severe in the omicron wave that continues to sweep through the city in its worst outbreak of the pandemic. (Lew, 3/31)

Also —

CNN: In About Half Of US Counties, Less Than 10% Of Children Ages 5 To 11 Are Fully Vaccinated Against Covid-19
The youngest group eligible to be vaccinated against Covid-19 in the US, children ages 5 to 11, is also the least vaccinated one. In about half of US counties, less than 10% of children 5 to 11 are fully vaccinated, according to a CNN analysis of data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most of the counties with especially child low vaccination rates are in the South, where nearly two-thirds of counties have vaccinated fewer than 1 in 10 children ages 5 to 11. (Kounang and McPhillips, 3/31)

Politico: Moderna ‘Happy’ With Results From Its Kids Vaccine Trial, But Is It Enough For The FDA?
Moderna says it has gathered enough data in support of its Covid-19 vaccine for the youngest children. But it may not be enough for regulators to greenlight the shot for kids. Public health officials, pediatricians and infectious disease experts are split over whether the company’s trial results are sufficient for the Food and Drug Administration and its independent advisers, or whether they will want to see data on a third dose as they did with Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine for children under 5. (Foley, 3/30)

In other news on the vaccine rollout —

Texas Tribune: In Laredo, A Bus Brigade Is Vaccinating Mexican Citizens With COVID-19 Shots That Texans Aren’t Using
The COVID-19 vaccine shot that went into Nohemi Lima Eusebio’s arm as she sat on a dusty yellow school bus at the U.S. border checkpoint in Laredo was just days away from going in the trash in Dallas. The dose had been in a batch earmarked for Texas residents, but it was about to expire at a clinic nearly 500 miles away because nobody used it. Instead, it turned out to be a potential lifesaver for Lima Eusebio, a 44-year-old single mom whose job in the close quarters of a factory across the border in Nuevo Laredo put her at risk for the virus and made her fear for the safety of her loved ones. (Brooks Harper and Garza, 3/29)

The Guardian: Film Glimpses Behind The Curtain As Covid Vaccine Was Made
“How to Survive a Pandemic,” investigative journalist and director David France’s documentary on the road to developing, producing and inequitably distributing several Covid-19 vaccines, begins on the day vaccines went from murky future to clear horizon. The film opens in December 2020, in the remarkably bespoke basement of the US Food and Drug Administration’s Dr. Peter Marks. The room is decked in Mardi Gras beads and a teddy bear; Marks’s clunky work laptop is surrounded by cans of oats. On camera and on the phone with Gen Gustave Perna, the chief operating officer of the federal Covid-19 response for vaccine and therapeutics, Marks celebrates the FDA’s emergency use authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. “Sorry you had to deal with all that political crap,” says Perna. “Vaccines will be moving tomorrow.” (Horton, 3/30)

Nature: COVID Vaccines: Head-To-Head Comparison Reveals How They Stack Up
A rare head-to-head comparison shows that the COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna outperform those from Johnson & Johnson and Novavax1. The data also provide a finely detailed picture of the immune protection that each vaccine offers — information that could be useful for designing future vaccines. The research was posted on the preprint server bioRxiv on 21 March. It has not yet been peer reviewed. (Walz, 3/29)

Omicron BA.2 On The Rise: Symptoms To Look Out For, Precautions To Take

As this subvariant dominates new covid infections in many parts of the country, doctors give anecdotal reports on the way this version is presenting. And state newspapers provide updates on regional transmission indicators.

The New York Times: How To Prepare For BA.2, The Omicron Subvariant
While the virus is unpredictable, there are clear ways to protect yourself. The plans you make now can lower your risk of exposure, minimize the disruption to the lives of your family and friends and help to assure you have access to treatments if you or someone you know becomes seriously ill. Here’s what you can do to prepare. (Parker-Pope and Sheikh, 3/31)

HuffPost: BA.2 Symptoms Doctors Are Seeing The Most Right Now
The highly contagious omicron subvariant BA.2 is now the dominant coronavirus strain around the world. Health officials have known about it since November, but they’re still learning about how it acts and how sick people infected with it are likely to get. With that in mind, here’s what the newest subvariant means for you and your family, as well as the signs you should keep an eye out for now. (Pearson, 3/30)

Des Moines Register: COVID-19 Cases Keep Falling In Iowa, But Hospitalizations Rise Over Previous Week
The number of people hospitalized in Iowa with COVID-19 rose for the first time in ten weeks, but remained low, according to data released Wednesday by the Iowa Department of Public Health and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Last week, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 fell below 100 for just the second time since the pandemic ramped up in 2020. It remained below 100 this week, but increased slightly, from 67 to 74. The number of people requiring intensive care for COVID-19 complications also rose this week, from 11 to 15. Both numbers are much lower than they’ve been for most of the pandemic. (Webber, 3/30)

Bangor Daily News: A More Contagious Version Of Omicron Is Rising Quickly In Maine
A more contagious strain of the omicron variant is growing more prevalent in Maine after improvements in the state’s case and hospitalization numbers have largely stalled out. The BA.2 variant — sometimes referred to as “stealth omicron” — was first identified in Maine in late February. It is estimated to be roughly 30 percent more contagious than the original omicron variant that emerged last fall, and has been cited as a major contributor to rising virus rates in much of Europe. (Piper, 3/31)

Philadelphia Inquirer: BA.2 Subvariant Dominant In U.S. As COVID Cases In New Jersey Rise
As the BA.2 strain of omicron gains dominance, New Jersey is already seeing an uptick in cases that health officials attribute to the subvariant. (McDaniel, 3/29)

Houston Chronicle: Houston Sees Rise In BA.2, COVID Omicron Subvariant Expected To Become Dominant Here
Houston is seeing an uptick in the number of BA.2 cases, with genome sequencing and wastewater testing picking up higher levels this week compared to last week. The more contagious omicron subvariant was identified in 24 percent of patients who were sequenced at Houston Methodist, a jump from the 1 to 3 percent previously reported. BA.2 was also detected at six wastewater treatment plants on March 21 — the most recent day for which data is available — after the Houston Health Department last week said it had not been detected at any plants. (Gill, 3/30)

In more news about the spread of covid —

AP: Indiana Dropping County COVID-19 Risk Map From Website
Indiana health officials are dropping the state’s color-coded map that rated each county’s risk of COVID-19 spread in favor of relying on a different federal rating system. That is one of the significant changes that the Indiana Department of Health announced Wednesday for its online dashboard tracking COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths across the state. The agency has been updating the dashboard each weekday but will switch to Monday, Wednesday and Friday updates. (3/30)

Anchorage Daily News: Providers Offering Free COVID-19 Tests, Treatment For Uninsured Alaskans May Need To Pivot As Funding Ends
The federal government is no longer covering the costs of COVID-19 tests or treatments for those without health insurance. In Alaska, many private test providers say they’re covering the cost for now but may need to soon charge some Alaskans for a service that has been free for most of the pandemic. In some cases, those costs could run between $85 and $125 per test. And at least one provider has announced plans to close existing test sites as a way to reduce overhead costs associated with the end of the federal reimbursement program. (Berman, 3/30)

Detroit Free Press: Free COVID-19 Tests At 70 Michigan Libraries: The Full List
Free, at-home coronavirus tests are coming to more libraries in Michigan, the state said hours before President Joe Biden urged Congress to approve billions in emergency COVID-19 relief aid for efforts, such as testing, so the U.S. can continue to fight the virus. The free tests will be at 70 libraries across Michigan, helping underserved areas, in an expansion of a program that piloted in January with 18 libraries in five counties and the cities of Detroit and Taylor in Wayne County. (Hall, 3/30)

Also —

CIDRAP: Data Spotlight Loss Of Taste May Linger 9 Months After COVID-19
A new research letter in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases from French scientists shows that, 9 months after COVID-19 diagnosis, 30% of patients have an impaired sense of taste, but complete loss of taste is uncommon. The observational, retrospective study was conducted at the Nord Franche-Comte Hospital and included COVID-19 inpatients and outpatients from Mar 1 to May 31, 2020. A total of 214 patients were involved, and the mean age was 48.8 years. (3/30)

CIDRAP: Most COVID Pneumonia Survivors Had Lung Anomalies At 1 Year: Study
Among 91 COVID-19 pneumonia survivors in Austria, 54% had lung abnormalities on computed tomography (CT) imaging 1 year after symptom onset, suggests an observational study yesterday in Radiology. A team led by University of Innsbruck researchers evaluated the chest CTs of the 91 patients 2, 3, 6, and 12 months after COVID-19 symptom onset. It was a secondary analysis of a prospective, observational, multicenter study conducted from Apr 29 to Aug 12, 2020. Average patient age was 59 years, and 38% were women. (3/30)

Missouri, Arizona Are Latest To Join The ‘Pandemic Is Done’ Club

Both states, each with a Republican governor, have declared a formal end to the pandemic emergency. In related news, AP details how these types of declarations will affect all areas of the U.S. health care system, including Medicaid, telehealth, insurance coverage, and more.

AP: Missouri Governor Declares `The COVID-19 Crisis Is Over’
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Wednesday declared “the COVID-19 crisis is over,” announcing that the state will soon begin handling the coronavirus like influenza and other ongoing diseases that occasionally flare up. Parson said the state will officially start treating the coronavirus as an endemic on Friday. One result is that the public will receive less frequent updates about the number of deaths, hospitalizations and cases attributed to COVID-19.“The COVID-19 crisis is over in the state of Missouri, and we are moving on,” the Republican governor said at a Capitol news conference, a little over two years since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on March 11, 2020. (Lieb, 3/30)

AP: Arizona Governor Ends 2-Year-Old Virus State Of Emergency
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey on Wednesday ended the state of emergency he declared at the start of the coronavirus pandemic more than two years ago. The formal end of the statewide emergency came as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations dip to levels not seen since summer 2020. But deaths are falling at a slower pace. (Christie, 3/30)

In related news —

AP: End Of COVID May Bring Major Turbulence For US Health Care
When the end of the COVID-19 pandemic comes, it could create major disruptions for a cumbersome U.S. health care system made more generous, flexible and up-to-date technologically through a raft of temporary emergency measures. Winding down those policies could begin as early as the summer. That could force an estimated 15 million Medicaid recipients to find new sources of coverage, require congressional action to preserve broad telehealth access for Medicare enrollees, and scramble special COVID-19 rules and payment policies for hospitals, doctors and insurers. There are also questions about how emergency use approvals for COVID-19 treatments will be handled. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 3/31)

And more on covid mandates —

AP: Kansas Won’t Enforce Vaccine Rule For Nursing Home Workers
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s says Kansas won’t enforce a federal mandate that nursing home workers get vaccinated against COVID-19, acknowledging Wednesday that it conflicts with an anti-mandate state law she signed four months ago. Nursing home workers must still get vaccines, but the federal government will charge Kansas nearly $349,000 a year to have federal teams survey nursing homes for compliance. (Hanna, 3/31)

AP: Los Angeles Ends Its Business Vaccine Verification Mandate
The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to end its mandate for many indoor businesses and operators of large outdoor events to verify that customers have been vaccinated against COVID-19, joining a wave of big U.S. cities that have relaxed the restriction. The measure by council President Nury Martinez received enough votes to pass as an urgent measure so it can take effect quickly after it receives the mayor’s signature and is published by the city clerk. (Antczak, 3/30)

St. Louis Public Radio: How Disabled Students Can Be Protected Without Mask Mandates
There are few things Lela Post loves more than being pushed on the large, round tree swing in her family’s backyard. “I believe I can fly!” the 6-year-old screams as her father releases the swing, soaring Lela and her sister Bianca, 4, through the cool air. Their mother watches nearby as a fire crackles in the background. It’s blissful here. But away from their home, Lela’s parents, Jacob Post and Stephanie Biondi, have worked hard to keep her safe since she was diagnosed in early 2021 with leukemia, the most common cancer in children and teens. (Munoz, 3/30)

The Wall Street Journal: Boston Will Limit Protesting Near Officials’ Homes After Picketing Over Covid Rules
The Boston City Council voted to limit picketing at private residences after officials faced protests at homes over pandemic-related rules. The council, whose members are all Democrats, voted 9 to 4 in favor of an ordinance banning targeted residential picketing from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. It was filed by Mayor Michelle Wu, who has had loud early-morning protesters outside her duplex since early January, when she announced a vaccine mandate for city employees. (Levitz, 3/30)

Insulin Cost-Capping Bill Goes To House Floor Today

Also, the Washington Post reports on the death of Arthur D. Riggs, a medical researcher whose recombinant DNA experiments helped develop synthetic insulin. Meanwhile, a Food and Drug Administration panel concluded an experimental ALS drug from Amylyx hadn’t proved effective.

The Hill: House To Vote Thursday On Bill To Cap Cost Of Insulin
The House is expected to vote Thursday on legislation aimed at capping the price of insulin, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) announced. Hoyer told reporters on Wednesday that it’s “inexcusable” people are being charged exorbitant prices for “a life-saving and life-sustaining drug whose costs [have] not increased and whose research costs have been amortized a very long period of time ago.” (Marcos, 3/30)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: U.S. House Set To Vote On Insulin Price Cap Championed By Warnock, McBath
A measure intended to bring down the cost of insulin for people with diabetes is headed to the U.S. House floor for a vote Thursday. U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta, is one of the primary sponsors of the House legislation, and Georgia Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock helped reignite the conversation after President Joe Biden’s social spending and climate change legislation, known as Build Back Better, faltered. The insulin cost controls were in that package that stalled due to opposition from Senate Republicans and two moderate Democrats. Warnock is among several lawmakers who introduced stand-alone legislation to cap insulin at $35 a month for most patients. (Mitchell, 3/30)

In related news —

The Washington Post: Arthur Riggs, Who Helped Develop Diabetes Treatment, Dies At 82
Arthur D. Riggs, a medical researcher whose experiments with recombinant DNA led to the development of synthetic insulin for diabetes patients and helped launch the biotechnology industry, died March 23 at a hospital in Duarte, Calif. He was 82. His death was announced by the City of Hope, a medical center and research institute in Duarte with which Dr. Riggs was affiliated for more than 50 years. The cause was lymphoma. (Schudel, 3/30)

In updates from the FDA —

Stat: FDA Advisory Panel Concludes Amylyx ALS Drug Hasn’t Proven Effective
By a narrow margin, an independent panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday decided that data from a single trial of an experimental drug developed by Amylyx Pharmaceuticals were not sufficient to conclude the therapy was an effective treatment against ALS. The vote was 6-4 — closer than many expected given the FDA’s previously stated position that data from a single clinical trial of the Amylyx drug, called AMX0035, showed only a modest benefit and “may not be sufficiently persuasive” to support approval. (Feuerstein and Florko, 3/30)

The Boston Globe: FDA Advisory Vote Casts Pall Over The Future Of Amylyx’s Experimental ALS Drug
An independent panel of neurologists that advises the US Food and Drug Administration voted 6 to 4 Wednesday against recommending the agency approve a Cambridge company’s experimental therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called Lou Gehrig’s disease. The drug, produced by Amylyx Pharmaceuticals, slowed progression of the disease by 25 percent and improved survival a median of 4.8 months compared with placebo, according the the company. In what many described a difficult decision, a narrow majority of panel members were not convinced that Amylyx’s small clinical trial, which involved 137 ALS patients, proved the drug’s effectiveness. (Cross, 3/30)

In other pharmaceutical industry news —

Stat: Health Tech Companies Take Aim At Alzheimer’s, With Pharma Still Struggling
In the wake of the first Alzheimer’s drug approval in nearly two decades, pharmaceutical companies have been reinvigorated in their effort to tackle the neurodegenerative disease. But as Aduhelm takes its first stuttering steps on the market, it’s clear pharma’s struggles are far from over — leaving an opening for a crop of software and device companies to take aim. “There’s been a big spike in investment in digital therapeutics that are targeting Alzheimer’s,” said Martin Culjat, a digital medicine consultant at Eversana who advises multiple companies developing the non-pharmacological therapies. “A lot of that has been driven by the challenges in getting these drugs approved.” (Palmer, 3/31)

Stat: Pharma Companies Face Shareholder Proposals To Widen Access To Drugs
Over the next few weeks, several major pharmaceutical companies will face a fresh crop of shareholder proposals that would require them to take steps to widen access to their medicines, an issue that is drawing increasing attention from investors. The proposals address such topics as making Covid-19 medical products more accessible, aligning lobbying with public policy goals for promoting greater affordability, and reigning in anticompetitive practices. Another proposal would require feasibility studies for transferring technology and know-how that could be used by generic manufacturers to make needed products for low-income countries. (Silverman, 3/30)

CNBC: Next Decade Will Transform Health Care More Than Past Century: J&J CEO
Joaquin Duato, the new CEO of Johnson & Johnson, is comfortable enough in his new position at the 135-year-old company to issue a bold claim just a few months into the job and during his first interview: he predicts the next decade will see more health-care transformation than occurred during the past century. Duato, the first non-U.S. born CEO for the company, and first to hold dual citizenship (Spain and U.S.), has been with J&J for three decades and was at one point the chief information officer of its pharmaceuticals business, giving him key insights into the role of technology in health care. (Rosenbaum, 3/30)

KHN: Despite Doctors’ Concerns, Pharmacists Get More Leeway To Offer Treatment With Testing
When Reyna or Justin Ansley or one of their three kids feels sick and needs to be tested for strep throat or flu, there’s a good chance they’ll head to their local pharmacy in Hemingford or Alliance, Nebraska. Dave Randolph, the proprietor of both locations of Dave’s Pharmacy, can do a rapid test, give them medicine if they need it, and send them on their way. “I’m a cattle rancher,” said Reyna Ansley, whose family lives about 15 miles outside Hemingford. “You don’t necessarily have the time to drive to the doctor and sit in the waiting room. It’s really quicker through Dave.” (Andrews, 3/31)

On the opioid crisis —

Stat: CVS, Teva, And Allergan Reach Deal With Florida Over The Opioid Crisis
On the eve of a trial, the state of Florida has reached a settlement with a major pharmacy chain and two drug manufacturers over their roles in fomenting the opioid crisis that has gripped the United States for more than two decades. CVS Health will pay $484 million, and Allergan —a unit of AbbVie — agreed to pay $134 million to settle a lawsuit filed by the state. In addition, Teva Pharmaceuticals will pay $195 million, and also provide $84 million worth of its generic version of Narcan, a nasal spray that is used to treat opioid overdoses in emergencies. (Silverman, 3/30)

AP: West Virginia Reaches $26M Settlement With Opioid Maker Endo
West Virginia will receive $26 million in a settlement with the opioid maker Endo Health Solutions for the company’s role in perpetuating the state’s drug epidemic, the attorney general’s office said Wednesday. The announcement comes less than a week before the state is set to go to trial on Monday against three opioid manufacturers: Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., Teva Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Allergan. (Willingham, 3/30)

‘The Criminalization Of Medical Errors Is Unnerving’: Nurses Slam Tenn. Case

RaDonda Vaught was found guilty last week of criminally negligent homicide after mistakenly giving a patient the wrong medication. “This verdict sets into motion a dangerous precedent,” the American Nurses Association said. “Health care delivery is highly complex. It is inevitable that mistakes will happen. … It is completely unrealistic to think otherwise.”

AP: Nurses: Guilty Verdict For Dosing Mistake Could Cost Lives
The moment nurse RaDonda Vaught realized she had given a patient the wrong medication, she rushed to the doctors working to revive 75-year-old Charlene Murphey and told them what she had done. Within hours, she made a full report of her mistake to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Murphey died the next day, on Dec. 27, 2017. On Friday, a jury found Vaught guilty of criminally negligent homicide and gross neglect. (Loller, 3/30)

KHN: Reaction To The RaDonda Vaught Verdict: KHN Wants To Hear From Nurses
RaDonda Vaught, a former Tennessee nurse, killed a patient in 2017 by administering the wrong drug. She was criminally prosecuted and convicted of gross neglect and negligent homicide on March 25. She faces up to eight years in prison. Vaught’s conviction drew national attention and left many in the nursing profession worried it will set a precedent for criminalizing medical mistakes. Some observers believe the conviction will make hospitals less transparent about medical errors or dissuade people from pursuing a nursing career. (3/30)

In other news about health workers —

Des Moines Register: University Of Iowa’s Delayed OT For Health Care Workers Ruled Illegal
The University of Iowa owes damages to as many as 11,000 current and former health care workers for delays in paying overtime and other compensation, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. It’s not clear how much the university will owe the workers, some of them highly paid, but an attorney representing them said the amount could be substantial. Representatives of the Iowa Board of Regents and University of Iowa Health Care declined to comment on the decision. (Morris, 3/30)

NPR: A Nurse’s Death Becomes A Rallying Cry For Health Workers’ Mental Health
On the morning of January 18, Joshua Paredes came home to an empty apartment. His roommate and good friend Michael Odell wasn’t there, but there was a giant bag of Skittles, Odell’s favorite snack, on the dog bed. Paredes, who has two dogs, texted his friend. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, how many Skittles were in here? Just so I know what’s going on with the dogs.'” They were both working as nurses – Paredes at the University of California, San Francisco hospital and Odell at Stanford Health Care – and initially, Paredes didn’t think much of his friend’s absence, since he typically worked long shifts. (Chatterjee, 3/31)

And more health care industry updates —

Modern Healthcare: Anthem Fined $5M By Georgia Insurance Commissioner
The Georgia insurance commissioner is hitting Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield with a $5 million fine—the largest in agency history— over claims processing errors. Anthem failed to comply with state laws on a number of occasions between 2015 and 2021, insurance commissioner John King (R) announced Tuesday. Those included improper claims settlement practices, violations of the state Prompt Payment Act, a lack of timely responses to consumer complaints, inaccurate provider directories and provider contract loading delays, according to the regulator. (Devereaux, 3/30)

Modern Healthcare: Hospitals Hike Prices For Evaluation And Management Services
Hospital charges for services like emergency department visits and initial hospital care continue to grow faster than other types of care, according to a new study. Hospitals boosted their median charges for evaluation and management services by 7% and related negotiated rates rose 5%, according to FAIR Health’s analysis of November 2020 to November 2021 high-frequency claims from their database of more than 36 billion claims. Hospital E/M charges and negotiated rates—excluding facility fees—increased the most over that span out of the six categories FAIR Health studied: office E/M services; non-E/M services like psychiatric care, dialysis and immunizations; radiology; surgery; and pathology and laboratory. (Kacik, 3/30)

San Francisco Chronicle: San Francisco’s Laguna Honda Hospital Faces Potential Closure After Patient Overdoses Trigger State Review
Federal regulators have threatened to pull critical funding from San Francisco’s Laguna Honda Hospital after two patients overdosed at the facility last year, a dramatic measure that could force the hospital to shut down. Officials with San Francisco’s health department, which runs Laguna Honda, said Wednesday that the hospital had fallen out of regulatory compliance, putting its funding from Medicare and Medicaid in jeopardy. Laguna Honda, one of the largest skilled nursing facilities in the country, is run by the city and cares for more than 700 patients, including people with dementia, drug addiction and other complex medical needs, who live on the hospital’s campus. (Swan, 3/30)

The Boston Globe: Independent Hospitals Are ‘One Crisis Away’ From Financial Instability
Many of the state’s small and independent hospitals, buffeted by two years of heavy losses during the pandemic, are facing a significant financial crunch and fear they may not be able to weather another substantial COVID-19 surge on their own. At one point this winter, hospital executives thought they had weathered the worst of the pandemic. Then Omicron came. A decimated workforce, further culled by illness, struggled to care for the latest flood of patients. Expenses for temporary workers and overtime for existing staff soared. And revenues plummeted amid a halt in elective procedures. (Bartlett, 3/30)

Modern Healthcare: CMS Proposes Policy To Smooth Annual Hospice Pay Changes
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services wants to permanently cap annual hospice wage index adjustments so payments never decrease more than 5% from a prior year. “We are proposing a policy that increases the predictability of hospice payments for providers, and mitigates instability and significant negative impacts to providers resulting from changes to the wage index,” says a proposed rule published Wednesday. Medicare adjusts hospice payments using a wage index that reflects geographical differences. (Goldman, 3/30)

Stat: 5 Tech Trends Drawing Investment As Health Care Moves Into The Home
With Medicare expected to cover a projected 80 million people by 2030, entrepreneurs and investors are cashing in on what analysts see as an inevitable shift in health care away from the hospital and into the homes of aging patients. Incumbents like UnitedHealthcare Group are snapping up home health and hospice providers for billion-dollar price tags. And smaller startups are scoring tens of millions to build out the underlying logistical infrastructure, ranging from medical equipment delivery to digital medical devices that can transmit scans directly to doctors. Several large companies — including tech players like Amazon and health systems like Intermountain Healthcare — are jointly advocating for federal and state policies more conducive to home health. (Ravindranath, 3/31)

Providers, Planned Parenthood Push Back At Idaho Anti-Abortion Bill

Abortion providers are calling the new six-week abortion ban, which mimics a similar, controversial Texas law, an “unprecedented power grab” and are asking the Idaho Supreme Court to strike it. A bill limiting abortion and trans rights was also signed in Arizona.

CNN: Abortion Providers Ask Idaho Supreme Court To Block State’s New 6-Week Ban
Abortion providers are asking the Idaho Supreme Court to strike down the state’s new six-week abortion ban which mimics a controversial Texas law. The providers said in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that the Idaho law violates several provisions of the state constitution. They’re asking the state Supreme Court to intervene before April 22, when the law goes into effect. The law poses a “massive liability threat” to providers that is “so significant that the few remaining abortion providers in Idaho would have to cease the majority of abortions,” Rebecca Gibron, the interim CEO of the Planned Parenthood affiliate bringing the lawsuit, told reporters Wednesday. (Sneed, 3/30)

NBC News: Planned Parenthood Sues To Block Idaho’s Six-Week Abortion Ban
In the petition, health care providers urged the state Supreme Court to block the policy from taking effect, calling it an “unprecedented power grab by the Idaho Legislature” that would wreak “havoc on this State’s constitutional norms and the lives of its citizens.” The law bans abortion once cardiac activity is detected — usually around six weeks of pregnancy — except in cases of rape and incest. It also allows family members of fetuses to sue doctors for a minimum of $20,000 within four years of abortions. The bill, which was signed into law last week, is scheduled to take effect April 22. (Atkins, 3/30)

And more news on abortion —

AP: Arizona Governor Signs Bills Limiting Abortion, Trans Rights
Arizona’s Republican governor signed a series of bills Wednesday targeting abortion and transgender rights, joining a growing list of GOP-led states pursuing a conservative social agenda. The measures signed by Gov. Doug Ducey will outlaw abortion after 15 weeks if the U.S. Supreme Court allows it, prohibit gender confirmation surgery for minors and ban transgender girls from playing on girls and women’s sports teams. (Christie and Cooper, 3/30)

The Baltimore Sun: Bill To Expand Maryland Abortion Access Heads To Gov. Larry Hogan’s Desk
Health care workers besides physicians could start performing abortions in Maryland and the procedure would be covered without cost by most insurance plans in the state under legislation passed by the General Assembly this week and is now headed to Gov. Larry Hogan’s desk. The Abortion Care Access Act received broad support from Maryland Democrats, who hold veto-proof majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly, and was passed over fervent objections from Republican lawmakers who oppose abortion on moral grounds. (Stole, 3/30)

The Boston Globe: Amid National Erosion Of Access, Abortion Rights Group Endorses Healey In Mass. Governor’s Race
National abortion-rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America endorsed Maura Healey for governor Wednesday, citing her record championing reproductive freedoms in Massachusetts and across the country, and her leadership as cochair of the Democratic Attorneys General Association. The high-profile endorsement comes as the US Supreme Court is poised to decide a case that directly challenges Roe v. Wade, setting the nation up for a potential undoing of the landmark abortion law by the conservative-majority bench, a key reason why NARAL is endorsing candidates months ahead of primary elections. (Gross, 3/30)

In other reproductive health news —

AP: UN Report: Nearly Half Of All Pregnancies Are Unintended
The U.N. Population Fund says new research shows that nearly half of all pregnancies worldwide — 121 million annually — are unintended, which it calls “a neglected crisis.” In its annual State of World Population Report 2022 released Wednesday, the fund said over 60% of unintended pregnancies end in abortion and an estimated 45% of abortions are unsafe, causing 5% to 13% of maternal deaths. (Lederer, 3/31)

Billings Gazette: Montana Nonprofit, Not The State, Awarded Federal Family Planning Grant
A longtime Montana nonprofit reproductive and sexual health care clinic announced Wednesday that it — and not the state health department — was awarded more than $2 million in federal family planning money. The Department of Public Health and Human Services has for 50 years been awarded and administrated the money, known as Title X funding, and distributed it through contracts to clinics around Montana. But Bozeman-based Bridgercare said in a press release that state legislation passed last year would have prohibited it and other organizations like Planned Parenthood from receiving the federal funding if the state was granted this year’s award. (Michels, 3/30)

AP: Feds: 9 Charged With Blocking DC Reproductive Health Clinic
Nine people were charged with federal civil rights offenses after they traveled to the nation’s capital and then blocked access to a reproductive health center and streamed it on Facebook, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. The charges include violations of a federal law known as the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, or the FACE Act, which prohibits physically obstructing or using the threat of force to intimidate or interfere with a person seeking reproductive health services. The law also prohibits damaging property at abortion clinics and other reproductive health centers. (Balsamo, 3/30)

AP: Jury Gives $5.25M To Woman Impregnated By Doctor’s Own Sperm
A federal court jury in Vermont on Wednesday awarded a Florida woman $5.25 million from a doctor who used his own sperm to impregnate her during an artificial insemination procedure in 1977. The federal court jury in Burlington began deliberating on Tuesday and returned the verdict on Wednesday. (Ring, 3/30)

Secondhand Smoke From Bongs Worse Than From Cigarettes: Study

A fresh study examining dangers of secondhand smoke shows breathing air polluted by particles from marijuana bongs is worse than from cigarettes, with concentrations more than twice federal air quality limits. Separately, Houston’s new ban on vaping in enclosed places is also in the news.

USA Today: Cannabis, Marijuana Bong Smoke More Dangerous Than Cigarettes: Study
You’ve heard about the dangers of secondhand cigarette smoke, but what about secondhand bong smoke? The haze after a bubbly bong hit may appear harmless, but a new study published Wednesday in JAMA Network Open found bystanders may be inhaling air pollutants at concentrations more than twice federal air quality limits. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, measured fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in a real-world setting where a group of young adults socially smoked cannabis with a bong for two hours in an ordinary household living room. An aerosol monitor was placed where a nonsmoker might sit, recording PM2.5 levels before, during and after eight sessions. (Rodriguez, 3/30)

San Francisco Chronicle: Bong Smoke Is Worse Than Secondhand Tobacco Smoke, UC Berkeley Study Finds
Turns out that the lasting stink of bong water spilled onto the carpet is not the only danger to smoking marijuana through a tall tube cooled by water at its base. A study conducted at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and published by the journal JAMA Network Open on Wednesday declared that secondhand cannabis smoke released during bong hits contains fine particulate matter at a concentration dangerously higher than that released by secondhand tobacco smoke. (Whiting, 3/30)

In related news about smoking —

Houston Chronicle: 5 Things To Know About Houston’s New Ban On Vaping And E-Cigarettes
Houston currently bans tobacco smoking in enclosed public places and seating areas and within 25 feet of any building entrance. Smoking in covered bus stops and light rail stops also is prohibited. As of Wednesday, the smoking ban now includes electronic cigarettes. E-cigarettes, also commonly known as vape pens, have become commonplace in Houston and are often used as an alternative to tobacco smoking. Their use is now restricted in accordance with the citywide smoking ban enacted in 2007 to reduce public secondhand smoke exposure. (Mishanec, 3/30)

In other public health news —

Stat: Obesity Can Turn Helpful Drug Into Harmful One, Mouse Study Shows
Researchers have long known that obesity rewires the immune system. Now a new study suggests these effects can be so profound they could turn a drug meant to treat a common inflammatory disease into one that makes things worse. Scientists discovered that mice with atopic dermatitis, a painful and itchy skin rash often triggered by an allergic reaction, were worse off if they were obese. A closer look at their immune responses led to a surprise finding: Different immune cell types drove the disease in obese versus lean mice. That caused a standard treatment to exacerbate symptoms in heavier animals, but adding another drug that made the immune response of the obese mice resemble those of lean animals made the treatment regimen work again. (Wosen, 3/30)

WGCU: Researchers Continue Studying Possible Health Effects From Airborne Algae Toxins
Researchers from Florida Gulf Coast University and Florida Atlantic University are studying the possible human health impacts caused by airborne toxins produced by blue-green algae through a study called “Cyanotoxins in Air Study.” FGCU researchers are focusing on collecting the air sampling data, and researchers from FAU’s College of Nursing and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute are working on the human health side of the study. They’ve been collecting air samples in Southwest Florida and across the state in Stuart. Researchers are asking volunteers who live near the water to provide blood, urine and nasal samples. There hasn’t been a major blue-green algae bloom for a few years so they’re collecting baseline data. (Kiniry, 3/30)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Suicide Deaths Rise In Milwaukee County, Officials Highlight Resources
Milwaukee-area leaders on Wednesday highlighted mental health resources available in the community amid an increase in deaths by suicide in the county in recent years, including in 2022. “If you are considering suicide, if you have lost a loved one to suicide, it’s important to know that there’s also hope and there’s also support,” said Arnitta Holliman, director of the city of Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention, at a news conference. She was one of a series of speakers at Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers’ National Avenue Clinic who urged residents to seek out the resources available. (Dirr and Rodriguez, 3/30)

Bloomberg: NYC Dismantles More Than 200 Encampments For Homeless People
A New York City task force has removed 239 out of 244 identified homeless encampments over the past two weeks, part of Mayor Eric Adams’s strategy to clean up public spaces and connect people living on the streets with housing and social services. Agencies began clearing public spaces on March 18, giving the encampments a 24-hour notice, Adams said at a briefing Wednesday. Teams offered to connect people living in the encampments with housing options as well as medical and mental health care. Police officers had their body cameras activated during each engagement, city officials said. (Diaz, 3/30)

Bloomberg: Mental-Health Services Come To Women’s Tennis, Inspired By Naomi Osaka
Faced with growing evidence that celebrated athletes are struggling with the pressures of competition and intense media scrutiny, the governing body of women’s tennis is turning to a well-funded California startup for help. The Women’s Tennis Association agreed to a deal with Modern Health to produce a five-part video series featuring some of the sport’s top players in order to raise awareness about mental-health challenges among athletes. The San Francisco-based company will also offer players the chance to connect with mental-health coaches and therapists in its network. The WTA has more than 1,600 members who could be eligible to use the services. Financial terms weren’t disclosed. (Shaw, 3/30)

St. Louis Public Radio: She Gave Her Kidney To A High School Acquaintance — And It Changed His Life
John “JT” Thomas was a healthy 20-year-old in 2011. But at that year’s family Thanksgiving gathering, he found that he couldn’t even finish his first plate of food. His appetite was gone — and he was increasingly lightheaded. His physicians had a chilling response to his symptoms, one that he recalls even today: “You shouldn’t be able to walk right now.” “It was a complete shock to the system,” Thomas recalled on St. Louis on the Air. Soon after, Thomas was diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a disease in which scar tissue develops on the small parts of the kidneys that filter waste from the blood. (Woodbury, 3/30)

Brain Condition Aphasia Causes Actor Bruce Willis To Retire

The disorder, which affects language processing, has many causes though some reports say Bruce Willis’ declining cognitive state has been a concern on movie sets for some time.

AP: Brain Condition Sidelining Bruce Willis Has Many Causes
A brain disorder that leads to problems with speaking, reading and writing has sidelined actor Bruce Willis and drawn attention to a little-known condition that has many possible causes. A stroke, tumor, head injury or other damage to the language centers of the brain can cause aphasia. A brain infection or Alzheimer’s disease can trigger it. Former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, wounded in a 2011 shooting, has aphasia from that injury. (Johnson, 3/30)

Los Angeles Times: Concerns About Bruce Willis’ Declining Cognitive State Swirled Around Sets In Recent Years
Just days before Bruce Willis was scheduled to turn up on the set of one of his latest action films, the director of the project sent out an urgent request: Make the movie star’s part smaller. “It looks like we need to knock down Bruce’s page count by about 5 pages,” Mike Burns, the director of “Out of Death,” wrote in a June 2020 email to the film’s screenwriter. “We also need to abbreviate his dialogue a bit so that there are no monologues, etc.” (James and Kaufman, 3/30)

The Washington Post: Bruce Willis Stepping Away From Acting After Aphasia Diagnosis
Aphasia is classified as an “acquired neurogenic language disorder” that often occurs after a stroke or a brain injury, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, affecting the comprehension and expression of written and spoken language. While speech and language therapy can help those suffering from aphasia recover their language skills, it is “usually a relatively slow process,” and although “most people make significant progress, few people regain full pre-injury communication levels. ”It is unclear what brought on Willis’s aphasia or whether the “Die Hard” actor is suffering from any other impairments. (Andrews, 3/30)

The New York Times: What Is Aphasia? Bruce Willis’s Diagnosis, Explained
Aphasia is a constellation of symptoms that make it difficult or impossible to express or comprehend language. The disorder stems from damage to the parts of the brain that are responsible for language functions, which are typically housed on the left side of the brain. Aphasia can be devastating for patients, disrupting their ability to take part in everyday life. All cases of aphasia stem from neurological changes in the brain. Strokes resulting in brain damage are the number-one cause, said Dr. Shazam Hussain, director of the Cerebrovascular Center at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. But it can also be caused by degenerative conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, other triggers include brain injuries, including from severe blows to the head; brain tumors; gunshot wounds and brain infections. (Blum, 3/30)

Requests For Medical Aid-In-Dying Rise In Colorado

In other news, West Virginia’s governor vetoed a bill that would have split the state’s health department into separate agencies; a Minnesota bill funding ALS research was signed; as was a landmark bill improving mental health services in Georgia; and more.

Colorado Sun: More Colorado Patients Are Seeking Medical Aid-In-Dying Medication
The number of Coloradans who received prescriptions to end their lives has increased each year since voters passed an aid-in-dying law in 2016, rising 18% in 2021. Last year, 222 people obtained prescriptions for the lethal doses of medication, which they must ingest themselves after getting approval from two physicians who certify that they have a terminal illness and fewer than six months to live. That brings to 777 the five-year total prescriptions since the End-of-Life Options Act was passed, according to a recently completed report on the law by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. (Brown, 3/31)

In other health news from across the U.S. —

AP: WVa Governor Vetoes Health Department Split, Seeks Review
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice vetoed a bill Wednesday that would have split the massive Department of Health and Human Resources into separate agencies, saying he first wants a review of its “issues, bottlenecks, and inefficiencies.” “I am committed to making the DHHR better, but we cannot afford to play politics when people’s lives hang in the balance,” Justice said in a statement. “We need to be certain before we act.” (Raby, 3/30)

AP: Walz Signs ALS Bill By Senator With The Disease
Gov. Tim Walz signed a $25 million bill to fund research into ALS that was authored by a veteran state senator from the Iron Range who has the neurological disease. Sen. David Tomassoni, 69, of Chisholm, took up the cause after disclosing last year that he had ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. His case has progressed rapidly, forcing him to participate in most Senate business remotely this session. Tomassoni said through a computerized speech synthesizer that the Democratic governor and legislative leaders from both parties told him after his diagnosis that they would support whatever he wanted for funding. (Karnowski, 3/30)

The CT Mirror: Lawmakers Not Giving Up On Bill To Expand Medicaid To Undocumented Kids
Advocates who had hoped to see another expansion of Medicaid coverage this year for children regardless of their immigration status are now calling for the proposal to be included in the state budget implementer, following a surprising defeat of the bill in committee. Last year, lawmakers approved an expansion of Medicaid, known as HUSKY in Connecticut, that allowed children 8 and younger, regardless of their immigration status, to qualify for the program beginning on Jan. 1, 2023. Children must come from households earning up to 323% of the federal poverty level to be eligible for coverage. (Carlesso and Golvala, 3/30)

Georgia Health News: State Legislators Reach Agreement, Pass Landmark Mental Health Legislation
The state Senate unanimously approved landmark legislation Wednesday that aims to improve services for Georgians who have mental health and addiction problems. The Senate version of House Bill 1013 closely mirrored major provisions originally contained in the legislation, sponsored by House Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge), who took an unusually strong personal role in advocating for the overhaul. Ralston, hearing of the Senate vote, reacted emotionally in telling his chamber of the outcome. (Miller and Grapevine, 3/30)

AP: Patient Assault Draws New Probe Of Montana Psych Hospital
Federal investigators visited Montana’s state psychiatric hospital for an inspection following an assault that reportedly left a patient with severe injuries. The inspection by officials from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services was reported by the Montana State News Bureau. It comes amid staffing shortages and other problems that resulted in patient deaths and have put the hospital in Warm Springs in jeopardy of losing its federal reimbursement. The female victim of last week’s assault by another patient was life-flighted to a Missoula hospital, the news outlet reported. (3/30)

Oklahoman: Oklahoma Latest State To Ban Transgender Athletes From Female Sports
Levi Gladd has never competed against a transgender athlete, but the University of Oklahoma track runner said the concept is widely discussed on campus. “Being in college athletics, it’s a pretty talked about topic, just with the swimmer that’s come out,” said Gladd, referring to Lia Thomas, the University of Pennsylvania athlete who recently became the first transgender woman to win an NCAA swimming competition. “I believe all young women deserve the opportunity to excel at whatever sport they choose to be passionate about and I don’t think it should be taken away from them, especially for biological reasons that they can’t overcome.” (Felder, 3/30)

KHN: Tennessee Offers To Expand Dental Schools As Medicaid Coverage Stretches Need
More than 600,000 additional Medicaid patients in Tennessee may soon be covered with comprehensive dental benefits under a proposal by Republican Gov. Bill Lee. But the state, one of the last to extend dental coverage to adults, is also trying to make sure those Medicaid enrollees can find dentists willing to treat them. Along with $75 million to extend Medicaid dental benefits to adults, Tennessee is considering $94 million to help its two dental schools expand. About a third of the money would help pay off the student loans of graduates who agree to work in high-need areas, with the idea that they would treat more Medicaid patients. (Farmer, 3/31)

WHO Reports Covid Fading Globally, But People Are Still Dying

According to the AP, a 40% jump in reported covid deaths last week is likely due to changes in reporting, and adjusted figures from India. But according to the World Health Organization, the world’s case count is falling even in regions where the rate rose in December.

AP: WHO: COVID Deaths Jump By 40%, But Cases Falling Globally
The number of people killed by the coronavirus surged by more than 40% last week, likely due to changes in how COVID-19 deaths were reported across the Americas and by newly adjusted figures from India, according to a World Health Organization report released Wednesday. In its latest weekly report on the pandemic, the U.N. health agency said the number of new coronavirus cases fell everywhere, including in WHO’s Western Pacific region, where they had been rising since December. (3/30)

Bloomberg: South Africa’s Coronavirus Death Toll Passes Grim Milestone
South Africa’s official death toll from the coronavirus has passed the 100,000 mark, a week after the country relaxed almost all restrictions in response to a decline in new infections. An additional 44 deaths from the disease have been reported, bringing the total to 100,020, the National Institute of Communicable Diseases said in a statement on Wednesday. Still, the actual number of Covid-19 related deaths may be triple that toll, studies by the South African Medical Research Council that track the number of deaths above the historical norm show. (Kew, 3/30)

In other global news —

AP: St. Jude Accepts 2nd Group Of Ukrainian Cancer Patients
A second group of Ukrainian children with cancer has arrived for treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Tennessee after they fled with their families from the war in their home country, the hospital said. Four children ages 6 to 17 and their 11 family members arrived at the Memphis hospital Monday after a flight on a chartered medical transport airplane departing from Poland, St. Jude said in a news release late Tuesday. (Sainz, 3/30)

AP: UK Maternity Scandal Review Finds 200 Avoidable Baby Deaths
A review into a scandal-hit British hospital group concluded Wednesday that persistent failures in maternity care contributed to the avoidable deaths of more than 200 babies over two decades. The review began in 2018 after two families that had lost their babies in the care of Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust in western England campaigned for an inquiry. (Lawless, 3/30)

AP: The Wanted Singer Tom Parker Dies Of Brain Tumor At 33
Tom Parker, a member of British-Irish boy band The Wanted, has died after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. He was 33. The band announced that Parker died Wednesday, “surrounded by his family and his band mates.” Parker announced his diagnosis in October 2020, and underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy. (3/30)

Research Roundup: Strep; Flu Vaccine; Cancer; Autism; MERS; More

Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.

CIDRAP: Rapid PCR Tests For Suspected Strep A Infections Tied To Less Antibiotic Use
Implementation of point-of-care (POC) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for patients with acute pharyngitis symptoms as part of a broader antibiotic stewardship initiative was associated with a significant reduction in inappropriate antibiotic use at outpatient clinics in California, researchers reported today in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. (3/24)

American Academy Of Pediatrics: Safety Of Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine In Children With Asthma
Asthma is considered a precaution for use of quadrivalent live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV4) in persons aged ≥5 years because of concerns for wheezing events. We evaluated the safety of LAIV4 in children with asthma, comparing the proportion of children with asthma exacerbations after LAIV4 or quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV4). (Sokolow, 3/28)

ScienceDaily: Universal Flu Vaccine Candidate
Scientists have leveraged on a novel vaccine platform to deliver M2e to immune cells. This allowed them to prove that a single shot immunization containing M2e was able to trigger long-lasting immune responses that could protect effectively against multiple strains of the flu. (National University of Singapore, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, 3/29)

Nature: Neoadjuvant Clinical Trials Provide A Window Of Opportunity For Cancer Drug Discovery
Cancer immunotherapy is a remarkable success story that has revolutionized cancer care across numerous tumor types1, and although most patients with cancer fail to respond to currently approved immunotherapies, there are nearly 5,000 novel agents in preclinical or clinical development that aim to improve outcomes2. (Marron et al, 3/28)

ScienceDaily: Scientists Identify Overgrowth Of Key Brain Structure In Babies Who Later Develop Autism
New research demonstrates overgrowth of the amygdala in the first year of life, before babies show most of the behavioral symptoms that later consolidate into a diagnosis of autism. This overgrowth may be unique to autism, as babies with fragile X syndrome show a different brain growth pattern. (University of North Carolina Health Care, 3/25)

JAMA Network: Association Of Antipsychotic Drug Exposure In Pregnancy With Risk Of Neurodevelopmental Disorders
The findings of this birth cohort study suggest that antipsychotic medications may not have important neurotoxic effects; the potential signal identified for aripiprazole requires replication in other data before causality can be assumed. (Straub et al, 3/28)

CIDRAP: MERS Sickens Qatari Man After Contact With Camels
Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) last week reported a Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) case in a man who had contact with camels. The man is hospitalized. So far, no other illnesses have been identified among his contacts, who are under monitoring for 14 days. The case marks Qatar’s first infection with the MERS-CoV virus since 2020 and pushes the country’s total to 24. The man’s illness onset date isn’t clear, but if it was in 2022, it would signify the first such case reported in the new year. (3/28)

Different Takes: Congress Must Fund Global VAX Initiative; We Should Mask On Public Transit From Now On

Opinion writers tackle these covid issues.

The Washington Post: Failing To Fund The U.S. Covid Response Bodes Trouble For The Entire World
Nearly a year ago, President Biden announced that the United States would be the “arsenal of vaccines for the world,” just as America served as an arsenal for democracies during World War II. With the president’s leadership and the consistent bipartisan support of Congress, the United States has delivered more than half a billion coronavirus vaccines to 114 lower-income countries free of charge, a historic accomplishment. This example spurred contributions from other wealthy nations and contributed to vaccination of almost 60 percent of the world. (Atul Gawande, 3/30)

Bloomberg: Mask-Wearing On Trains And Subways Should Be A Forever Thing
One morning last week a young man in a light-blue sport coat with AirPods in his ears and no mask on his face boarded my bus in Los Angeles and sat down. Then he looked around at all the masked faces, got up, walked to the front of the bus to grab a free mask from the dispenser, put it on and returned to his seat. It made my day. (Justin Fox, 3/30)

CNN: We Want Our Kids Vaccinated — But We Can’t Rush The Process
Last week’s announcement that Moderna plans to seek authorization of its Covid-19 vaccine for young children 6 months through 5 years of age brought us a feeling that’s been fleeting for parents during the pandemic: hope. We immediately texted one another, excited. “Moderna! For our kids!” As mothers who are also public health professionals, we follow the data. We’ve read extensively about the safety and efficacy of the adult Covid-19 mRNA vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna. And now we are reading Moderna’s news releases carefully, trying to piece together how quickly the company might submit a request to the US Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization for young kids. (“In the coming weeks,” said Moderna.) (Rosa Baier and Vanessa Lamers, 3/30)

Bloomberg: Is Covid Over? Probably Not — Just Ask Australian Rabbits
There’s a lot scientists can learn from Australian rabbits about the long-term future of Covid-19. That future depends on how the virus evolves. And while evolutionary biology can’t predict precisely how it will evolve, it can lay out some possibilities. Viruses can not only change in transmissibility and virulence, they can alter the way they get into cells, start infecting different parts of the body, or find new ways to evade an animal’s immune system. (Faye Flam, 3/30)

Viewpoints: Teens Need To Know How To Access Mental Health Help; Ohio County Has HIV Reduction Success

Editorial writers explore these public health topics.

The Colorado Sun: Help Is Available To Struggling Teens — If They Know Who To Call
Youth are grieving. With the death of relatives, friends — and above all, expectations — teens are feeling the loss brought by the pandemic. Without appropriate support systems, our youth are perpetually remaining in crisis. I have experienced first-hand the strain on our community’s mental health. Ranging from addiction to suicide attempts to eating disorders, my peers at Cherry Creek High School are in a crucial state of flux. My counselors are overwhelmed, and my teachers are in tears. (Aimee Resnick, 3/30)

Cincinnati Enquirer: How Clean Needles Caused New HIV Cases To Fall
While the COVID-19 pandemic has consumed the lion’s share of health coverage, a breakthrough in treating another troublesome disease missed receiving some attention. As our region saw a nearly 20% increase in new cases of HIV during 2020-21, Hamilton County cases actually declined. Even more interesting, cases declined among people who inject drugs, one of the highest risk groups for contracting HIV. (Greg Kesterman, 3/30)

Stat: What Health Care Must Learn From Meteorology About R2O
Twenty years ago, a board of atmospheric experts published a report that revolutionized the meteorology industry with a single phrase: research to operations (R2O). This term was coined to describe the challenge of transitioning satellite data into operational use, or as it was described, bypassing the “Valley of Death” that swallowed up research before it could see the light of day. The report asked an important question: What if the industry could build a bridge between research and operations? (Vivian Neilley, 3/31)

The New York Times: We Need More Home Care Workers. But First We Have to Pay Them Enough
Loretta Copeland, an 81-year-old who lives in Harlem, uses a wheelchair and depends on an aide to help her with daily tasks like cooking and bathing. But New York’s home care labor shortage, currently the worst in the nation, has made it hard for her to get help. While she understands why people won’t work for such low wages, she is afraid she will end up in a nursing home. “I worked all my life and now I can’t even get help. That bothers me,” Ms. Copeland said in a recent interview. “I want to be able to enjoy what time I have left.” (Ai-jen Poo and Ilana Berger, 3/30)

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Thursday, March 31, 2022 – Kaiser Health News

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