Another Pandemic Impact: A Mountain of Discarded PPE

Burlington Free Press: After COVID, Another Crisis: Medical Waste From PPE, Shots, Testing
The very materials protecting us from COVID-19 infection over the last year could ultimately cause long-term harm to public health and the planet. Growing quietly in the background amid the chaos to respond to and contain the virus is the issue of medical waste – and its sheer volume – generated by the pandemic. A year after the virus hit the U.S., more than 390 million COVID-19 tests have been given. That's 390 million swabs, plus their packaging. In the country's more than 6,000 hospitals, healthcare workers have gone through multiple masks, gloves and protective gowns each day. (Barndollar, 4/8)

Crain's Detroit Business: Michigan Hospitals Start Reducing Elective Procedures In Wake Of COVID-19 Patient Surge
Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor is the first hospital in Southeast Michigan to slow elective surgeries and other procedures due to the latest surge in COVID-19 patient admissions, hospital officials confirmed Thursday. Henry Ford Macomb also has decided to limit elective procedures Thursday and Friday because the hospital is full. Bob Riney, president of hospital operations at Henry Ford Health System, said administrators will evaluate patient volume over the weekend. Riney said Henry Ford's other four Southeast Michigan hospitals continue to provide full slate of services. (Greene, 4/8)

Modern Healthcare: Cigna And Oscar Expand Their Small Business Partnership
The two companies' small business insurance plan is now available across Tennessee, Connecticut, California and the Atlanta area. The insurers aim to sell their health plan to companies with 100 employees or less. Their plan includes integrated medical, behavioral and pharmacy services and broad access to high-performing doctor and hospital networks, the companies said. As in other Oscar plans, members will receive support from a concierge team to understand their benefits and find care. They will also have access to round-the-clock telemedicine at no cost and other digital tools to support their care. The insurers first partnered last year and entered Los Angeles and Orange County at the same time. (Tepper, 4/8)

KHN: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Health Care As Infrastructure 
Health care makes some surprising appearances in President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan, even though more health proposals are expected in a second proposal later this month. The bill that would help rebuild roads, bridges and broadband capabilities also includes $400 billion to help pay for home and community-based care and boost the wages of those who do that very taxing work. An additional $50 billion is earmarked for replacing water service lines that still contain lead, an ongoing health hazard. (4/8)

In pharmaceutical news —

CIDRAP: Australian Study Links Rapid Flu Tests To Reduction In Antibiotic Prescribing
Antibiotics were initiated less frequently, and antivirals used more frequently, in patients diagnosed as having influenza using rapid polymerase chain reaction (RPCR) tests compared with standard multiplex PCR (MPCR) tests, Australian researchers reported yesterday in BMC Infectious Diseases. In the retrospective cohort study, the researchers compared outcomes in patients with positive influenza RPCR and MPCR tests at Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney during the 2017 flu season, examining test turnaround times, antibiotic initiation, oseltamivir initiation, and hospital length of stay (LOS) for both emergency department and inpatient hospital stay. (4/8)

Stat: Digital Pharmacy Startup Thirty Madison Taps Former Lilly Exec As President
After nearly three decades working at two of the world’s pharmaceutical giants, Michelle Carnahan is going digital. The former senior vice president of general medicines for Sanofi’s North America division has stepped into a new role as the president of Thirty Madison, a digital pharmacy that sells medications online and delivers them to your door. (Brodwin, 4/8)