First Edition: May 6, 2021
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
KHN:
Salesforce, Google, Facebook. How Big Tech Undermines California’s Public Health System.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has embraced Silicon Valley tech companies and health care industry titans in response to the covid-19 pandemic like no other governor in America — routinely outsourcing life-or-death public health duties to his allies in the private sector. At least 30 tech and health care companies have received lucrative, no-bid government contracts, or helped fund and carry out critical public health activities during the state’s battle against the coronavirus, a KHN analysis has found. The vast majority are Newsom supporters and donors who have contributed more than $113 million to his political campaigns and charitable causes, or to fund his policy initiatives, since his first run for statewide office in 2010. (Hart, 5/6)
KHN:
For Kurdish Americans In Nashville, A Beloved Leader’s Death Prompts Vaccine Push
On a sloppy spring day in mid-March, hundreds of Kurdish Americans gathered in a field outside Nashville, Tennessee, under a sea of black umbrellas. Some of the men carried a stretcher to an open grave, where a yellow backhoe waited. In accordance with Muslim tradition, the body of Imad Doski — a prominent community leader — was buried within 24 hours of his death. He was another casualty of covid-19. (Farmer, 5/6)
KHN:
Telemedicine Is A Tool — Not A Replacement For Your Doctor’s Touch
Earlier in the pandemic it was vital to see doctors over platforms like Zoom or FaceTime when in-person appointments posed risks of coronavirus exposure. Insurers were forced — often for the first time — to reimburse for all sorts of virtual medical visits and generally at the same price as in-person consultations. By April 2020, one national study found, telemedicine visits already accounted for 13% of all medical claims compared with 0.15% a year earlier. And covid hadn’t seriously hit much of the country yet. By May, Johns Hopkins’ neurology department was conducting 95% of patient visits virtually compared with just 10 such visits weekly the year before, for example. (Rosenthal, 5/6)
Stat:
U.S. Will Back Proposal To Waive Covid-19 Vaccine Patent Rights
In a significant move to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, the U.S. government agreed to support a controversial proposal to temporarily waive intellectual property rights for vaccines in a bid to increase global supplies of desperately needed doses. The proposal, which was first introduced before the World Trade Organization last fall by South Africa and India, would cover patents, industrial designs, copyrights, and protection of trade secrets. (Silverman, 5/5)
The New York Times:
E.U. Leader Says Bloc Willing To Discuss Patent Waiver For Covid Vaccines
Under growing pressure, the European Union is considering whether to follow the Biden administration’s unexpected decision to support a waiver of patent rights for Covid-19 vaccines as many poor and middle-income nations struggle to secure lifesaving doses. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stopped short of outright supporting President Biden in a speech on Thursday morning, but said the European Union was “also ready to discuss any proposals that address the crisis in an effective and pragmatic manner.” (Stevis-Gridneff, 5/6)
CNN:
Covid Vaccines Can Take On New Coronavirus Variants, Studies Show
A batch of new studies published Wednesday show how well coronavirus vaccines work against worrying new variants -- and one indicates booster doses can help them work even better. At least one of the studies also demonstrated that being fully vaccinated matters. (Fox, 5/5)
USA Today:
Pfizer Vaccine Highly Effective Against 2 Variants, Studies Say
The Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine is effective at protecting against severe disease caused by two variants rapidly spreading around the U.S., according to two studies published Wednesday. The vaccine protects against severe illness caused by both the variant first identified in the U.K. and the variant first discovered in South Africa, the studies show. One was published in the New England Journal of Medicine and the other in The Lancet. (Aspegren, 5/6)
Reuters:
Novavax Vaccine Shows 51% Efficacy Against South African Variant, Study Finds
Novavax Inc's (NVAX.O) COVID-19 vaccine had efficacy of 51% against infections caused by the South African variant among people who were HIV negative, and 43% in a group that included people who were HIV positive, according to a new analysis published on Wednesday. The variant, known as B.1.351, carries mutations that threaten the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, several studies have shown. Most vaccine makers, including Novavax, are testing versions of their vaccines to protect against emerging variants. (Steenhuysen, 5/5)
NPR:
Mismatched Doses Of COVID-19 Vaccines Could Boost Immune Response
Typically, if you get a COVID-19 vaccine that requires two doses, you should get two of the same vaccine. Two Pfizer shots, or two Moderna shots. Not one and then the other. But in the future, that could change, either by necessity or by design. This idea of using two types of vaccines isn't a new concept. It's known as heterologous vaccination, although there's a more colloquial term. "In the U.K. at the moment, we're sort of calling it 'mix and match,' " says Helen Fletcher, a professor of immunology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. She says shortages of a vaccine or concerns about side effects may induce health officials to adopt a mix-and-match strategy. (Palca, 5/5)
CBS News:
CDC Projects Sharp Decline In COVID-19 Cases By July
There is new hope in the battle to beat COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is projecting the number of new cases could fall sharply by July. But it comes with a warning: Any drop could be delayed by a continued decline in vaccinations. "Although we are seeing progress in terms of decreased cases, hospitalizations and deaths, variants are a wild card that could reverse this progress that we have made and could set us back," said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. (Lenghi, 5/5)
The Washington Post:
CDC Says Coronavirus Could Be Under Control This Summer In U.S. If People Get Vaccinated And Are Careful
The CDC report is not a prediction or forecast. Rather, it is a set of four scenarios based on modeling of the pandemic, using different assumptions about vaccination rates, vaccine efficacy and precautions against transmission. ... Under the most optimistic scenario, deaths from covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, could drop into the low 100s per week in August and into the “tens” per week in September, according to Justin Lessler, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and one of the paper’s senior authors. (Achenbach and Sun, 5/5)
NBC News:
Herd Immunity In The U.S.? San Francisco Offers Reasons For Optimism
San Francisco and its suburbs have been cautious, maintaining various restrictions while other parts of the country reopened businesses and eased mask mandates. Meanwhile, its vaccination rate is among the highest of any major U.S. city, with two-thirds of all adults having received at least one dose. And as parts of the city open up — some San Francisco bars have waitlists to get a table again — experts are offering a cautious optimism. The city may be seeing signs of herd immunity. (Chow and Ingram, 5/5)
The Boston Globe:
Will Mass. Achieve Herd Immunity Against The Coronavirus Pandemic? Maybe, Experts Say, But It Could Be Difficult
Massachusetts’ coronavirus vaccination campaign has been among the most successful in the country, with 57.3 percent of residents — 3.9 million people — having received at least a first shot of the vaccines as of earlier this week, according to federal data. That progress has people wondering if the state can vaccinate enough people to reach herd immunity. Here’s what some experts think about that prospect. (Finucane and Freyer, 5/5)
AP:
Biden Hits Schools Goal Even As Many Students Learn Remotely
President Joe Biden has met his goal of having most elementary and middle schools open for full, in-person learning in his first 100 days, according to new survey data, but the share of students choosing to return has continued to lag far behind. The survey, conducted in March by the Education Department and released Thursday, found that 54% of public schools below high school were offering full-time classroom learning to any student who wanted it. It marks steady progress since January, when the figure was 46%. (Binkley, 5/6)
AP:
Republicans Promote Pandemic Relief They Voted Against
Every Republican in Congress voted against the sweeping pandemic relief bill that President Joe Biden signed into law three months ago. But since the early spring votes, Republicans from New York and Indiana to Texas and Washington state have promoted elements of the legislation they fought to defeat. The Republicans’ favorite provisions represent a tiny sliver of the massive law, which sent $1,400 checks to millions of Americans, extended unemployment benefits until September, increased the child tax credit, offered housing assistance for millions of low-income Americans and expanded health care coverage. (Peoples, 5/6)
CIDRAP:
Medicaid Enrollment Increased 5 Million During Pandemic
About 5 million more Americans enrolled in Medicaid by September 2020 compared with January 2020, a research letter today in JAMA Network Open reports. The data showed that enrollment was flat until March 2020, where expansion and nonexpansion states eventually increased enrollment by 1.4 and 1.6 percentage points, respectively. The researchers found that enrollment increases were associated with Medicaid expansion states but not with steps to simplify the application process. (5/5)
AP:
CDC Sets Rules For Trial Cruises With Volunteer Passengers
Cruise lines can soon begin trial voyages in U.S. waters with volunteer passengers helping test whether the ships can sail safely during a pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave ship operators final technical guidelines Wednesday for the trial runs. The CDC action is a step toward resuming cruises in U.S. waters, possibly by July, for the first time since March 2020.A spokeswoman for the cruise industry’s trade group said the group was reviewing the CDC instructions. Each practice cruise — they’ll run two to seven days — must have enough passengers to meet at least 10% of the ship’s capacity. Volunteers must be 18 or older and either fully vaccinated or free of medical conditions that would put them at high risk for severe COVID-19. (5/6)
CNN:
Feds Fine Unruly And Maskless Airplane Passengers As Violent Incidents Increase
Federal authorities are planning to fine two unmasked and unruly passengers accused of hitting and grabbing flight attendants amid a rash of disruptive and sometimes violent incidents on board planes. One passenger accused of grabbing and striking two flight attendants during a February flight faces a fine of $32,750, the Federal Aviation Administration told CNN on Wednesday. A passenger on a different flight is accused of hitting "one of the flight attendants with his bags" and faces a $16,500 fine. (Wallace and Muntean, 5/5)
The Washington Post:
Air Traveler Faces $32,750 In Fines For Refusing To Wear Mask And Throwing Items, FAA Says
A woman aboard a JetBlue flight from the Dominican Republic to New York faces $32,750 in fines after refusing to wear a mask, throwing food and an empty bottle of alcohol into the air, and shouting obscenities at crew members, the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday. The passenger, who was not identified, is one of four the agency is taking action against for unruly behavior while flying. (Aratani, 5/5)
The Wall Street Journal:
Peloton Recalls All Treadmills As CEO Apologizes
Peloton Interactive Inc. has agreed to recall its treadmills, and its chief executive apologized for the company’s initial refusal to comply with federal safety regulators who pushed for the action weeks ago. The exercise-equipment maker also said it was halting sales of its Tread+ treadmill model. “I want to be clear, Peloton made a mistake in our initial response to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s request that we recall the Tread+,” CEO John Foley said in a joint statement announcing the recall with the CPSC. “We should have engaged more productively with them from the outset.” (Terlep and Prang, 5/5)
The New York Times:
CureVac Covid Vaccine Could Bring Hope To The Unvaccinated World
In early 2020, dozens of scientific teams scrambled to make a vaccine for Covid-19. Some chose tried-and-true techniques, such as making vaccines from killed viruses. But a handful of companies bet on a riskier method, one that had never produced a licensed vaccine: deploying a genetic molecule called RNA. The bet paid off. The first two vaccines to emerge successfully out of clinical trials, made by Pfizer-BioNTech and by Moderna, were both made of RNA. They both turned out to have efficacy rates about as good as a vaccine could get. (Zimmer, 5/5)
Bloomberg:
Biden’s Vaccine Path Gets Tougher As Tempo Of Shots Slows By 37%
President Joe Biden is running out of Americans willing to roll up their sleeves for Covid-19 shots, dragging out his bid to vanquish the pandemic and forcing the administration to refocus its vaccination strategy. Biden and his aides detailed the latest phase of his pandemic response this week as domestic demand for vaccinations dries up and inoculations slide. The U.S. is now giving an average of 2.13 million shots a day, down from 3.37 million about three weeks ago. And on Tuesday, which has the lowest shots of any day of the week, fewer than a million were given for the first time since February. (Wingrove, 5/6)
CBS News:
Yankees And Mets Will Offer Free Tickets With COVID Vaccine Shots At The Games
The Yankees and Mets will offer free tickets to spectators who get vaccinated against COVID-19 at sites set up right at the game. Fully vaccinated spectators will also be able to attend Yankees and Mets games in sections designated for 100% capacity starting this month, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Wednesday. Separate sections for unvaccinated guests will still enforce six feet of social distancing between parties, at 33% of total capacity. The changes will go into effect on May 19. (5/5)
The Hill:
NFL To Give 50 Free Super Bowl LVI Tickets To Vaccinated Fans
The NFL announced on Wednesday that fans vaccinated against the coronavirus will have an opportunity to win free tickets to next year's Super Bowl. Fans who share why they got vaccinated, or soon will, will be eligible to win a pair of tickets to Super Bowl LVI. The league said it is giving away 50 free tickets. Super Bowl LVI will be held at Los Angeles’s SoFi Stadium on Feb. 13. (Schnell, 5/5)
AP:
US Tribe Shares Vaccine With Relatives, Neighbors In Canada
On a cloudy spring day, hundreds lined up in their cars on the Canadian side of the border crossing that separates Alberta and Montana. They had driven for hours and camped out in their vehicles in hopes of receiving the season’s hottest commodity — a COVID-19 vaccine — from a Native American tribe that was giving out its excess doses. The Blackfeet tribe in northern Montana provided about 1,000 surplus vaccines last month to its First Nations relatives and others from across the border, in an illustration of the disparity in speed at which the United States and Canada are distributing doses. While more than 30% of adults in the U.S. are fully vaccinated, in Canada that figure is about 3%. (Samuels, 5/5)
AP:
State Expands Walk-Up COVID-19 Shots; Field Hospital Closing
Massachusetts will begin expanding walk-up COVID-19 vaccination opportunities as it tries to make it easier for residents to protect themselves against the disease. ... A COVID-19 field hospital at the DCU Center in Worcester is expected to close for good within the next couple of weeks, UMass Memorial Health Care said in a statement. The 220-bed field hospital was first set up last spring, then reopened in December to treat patients during a second surge of coronavirus cases. It stopped taking new patients in March but remained in place and ready to reopen in the event of another surge. (5/6)
ABC News:
California Bar Owner Busted For Making Phony Vaccination Cards: Investigators
A bar owner in California was arrested this week for making fake IDs that had nothing to do with drinking, investigators said. The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control announced on Wednesday that it arrested the owner of the Old Corner Saloon in Clements, California, allegedly for selling fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards. (Pereira, 5/5)
CIDRAP:
Study Says COVID-19 Recurrence Could Be Less Than 0.1%
Less than 0.1% of all COVID-positive patients in the Intermountain Healthcare system had probable or possible recurrence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to a PLOS One study yesterday. The full cohort of 23,176 COVID-19 patients was pared down to 1,301 patients who had at least one additional SARS-CoV-2 test 60 or more days after the initial diagnosis. Almost 10% (122) had a positive test, of which 114 had sufficient data for recurrence evaluation (median test interval, 85.5 days). (5/5)
Bloomberg:
Pandemic Delayed Some FDA Plant Inspections, Product Approvals
Pandemic disruptions severely hampered U.S. regulators’ ability to inspect drug and device makers’ manufacturing plants, delaying at least 68 applications for approval to market new products, according to a Food and Drug Administration review. Seven of the delayed applications were mission-critical, meaning they represented a medical advancement, the agency said Wednesday in its report, and six of those were for new drugs. The delayed applications were among 600 where the FDA required a factory inspection before approval decisions. (Edney, 5/5)
Fierce Healthcare:
Cyberattack Forces Scripps Health To Go Offline, Disrupts Patient Care
San Diego-based Scripps Health is struggling to restore its IT systems after a cyberattack May 1 that has significantly disrupted care, impacted email servers and forced medical personnel to use paper records. Some critical care patients were diverted and the online patient portal was taken offline, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Scripps Health operates five hospitals in the San Diego area. (Landi, 5/5)
Modern Healthcare:
Critical-Access Hospitals Struggle With New CMS Star Ratings
Almost half of critical access hospitals' star ratings went down this year, and about two-thirds of all U.S. CAH's didn't even get a star, raising questions about whether CMS' new methodology is a more accurate picture of quality, and if the system is even working for these small hospitals. Take Fulton County Health Center in Ohio, which went from four stars last year to one star this year, and is part of a larger trend. Forty-seven percent of CAHs went down at least one star this year, compared to 22% of acute care hospitals. (Gillespie, 5/5)
Crain's New York Business:
'Safe Staffing' Bills For Hospitals, Nursing Homes Pass New York Legislature
New York State lawmakers on Tuesday passed a pair of bills that would set minimum nurse-to-patient staffing levels at hospitals and nursing homes, pending the governor's signature. One bill requires hospitals to establish committees of health care workers and administrators by Jan. 1 to determine appropriate staffing ratios. Plans would be due by July 1 and available publicly on the state Department of Health's website. Hospitals have to implement them by Jan. 1, 2023. The other requires nursing homes to have enough nurses and aides to provide residents with at least 3.5 hours of care a day, starting Jan. 1. (Kaufman, 5/5)
Modern Healthcare:
High Costs, Low-Value Healthcare Linked To Hospital Doctors
Healthcare costs and low-value care tend to increase when hospitals acquire physicians, new studies published in Health Affairs show. The number of diagnostic and lab tests performed in hospitals versus unaffiliated facilities increased after doctors were acquired by hospitals, which inflated healthcare costs, according to an analysis of 30 million imaging procedures and 341 million lab tests billed to Medicare. While more tests could benefit patients, physicians employed by hospitals were more likely to order inappropriate magnetic resonance imaging tests, a companion analysis of the commercial claims associated with 583 primary-care doctors who transitioned from independent practice to hospital employment found. (Kacik, 5/5)
Modern Healthcare:
Healthcare Workers Say Workplace Safety Plans Needed
Healthcare workers are charged with protecting the health of the public but they increasingly need protection, too. Colleen McDonald, CEO of University of Minnesota's Community Healthcare Center, said that more protests and unrest will pose challenges to the safety of healthcare providers and care delivery. "The ongoing trauma is really high right now," said McDonald, who found herself boarding up the center's windows ahead of the verdict in Officer Derek Chauvin's trial being announced, a routine she started during the May 2020 protests of George Floyd's death at the hands of Chauvin. (Christ and Gellman, 5/5)
Modern Healthcare:
AMA: Most Physicians Now Work Outside Of Private Practice
For the first time, most physicians worked outside of physician-owned practices in 2020, as doctors continue to gravitate toward employment by hospitals and other organizations, according to a new American Medical Association survey. The trade group's latest Physician Practice Benchmark Survey found that 49.1% of patient care physicians worked in physician-owned practices in 2020, a drop of almost 5 percentage points from 2018, when that figure was 54%. It's 11 percentage points lower than 2012, when 60% of physicians worked in physician-owned practices. (Bannow, 5/5)
Stat:
Roger Perlmutter, Former Merck R&D Head, Becomes CEO Of Startup
Roger Perlmutter, previously the head of research at Merck, said Wednesday he will become the CEO of a startup that is using Nobel Prize-winning microscope technology that can pinpoint the location of individual molecules within human cells as a way to invent new medicines. The company, Eikon Therapeutics of Hayward, Calif., also announced that it has raised $148 million from The Column Group and other investors including Foresite Capital, Innovation Endeavors, and Lux Capital. (Herper, 5/5)
Stat:
The Long Wait For Cel-Sci To Finally Admit Its Cancer Drug Doesn't Work
Eventually, Cel-Sci will have to disclose the results of its Phase 3 cancer clinical trial. When that happens is anyone’s guess. Tuesday marked one year since the small biotech announced the completion of the study, which is investigating an immune-boosting drug called Multikine in patients with head and neck cancer. There is no set timeline for how long it takes to analyze and read out results from a clinical trial, but generally, six weeks to two months is a good rule; allowing three or four months to crunch the numbers is being generous. (Feuerstein, 5/5)
Stat:
Biogen's Alzheimer's Drug May Only Be Cost-Effective At $2,500 A Year
The controversial, but widely anticipated Biogen (BIIB) treatment for Alzheimer’s would only be cost-effective if it is priced between $2,500 and $8,300 a year due to “insufficient” evidence that the drug works, according to a preliminary analysis. The assessment, which is markedly below some Wall Street estimates of $50,000, reflects the debate over clinical trials that the company submitted to the Food and Drug Administration in hopes of winning approval for its medication. (Silverman, 5/5)
Stat:
How A Cancer Center Promoted An Exclusive Drug To Draw Patients
A new medication for children with a rare and life-threatening cancer called neuroblastoma had a curious path to approval last November: With one exception, all U.S. patients in the clinical trials were treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. For almost a decade, naxitamab — now one of the most expensive drugs on the market, at $733,248 for a six-month regimen — was available in the U.S. only at the prestigious New York cancer hospital. (Goldhill, 5/6)
ABC News:
Traveling Doctor Uses Winnebago To Get To Hospitals In Need
When the pandemic hit, husband and wife Kenny Phillips and Dr. Sabrina Campbell took working from home on the road. As a traveling doctor, Campbell is used to being on the move. But with the coronavirus pandemic necessitating doctors like never before, the couple decided to jump in their Winnebago to travel to hospitals in need of front-line workers. (Yamada and Noll, 5/5)
AP:
Google Says 20% Of Workers Will Be Remote, Many More Hybrid
Google says it expects about 20% of its workforce to still work remotely after its offices reopen this fall, while some 60% will work a hybrid schedule that includes about three days in the office and two days “wherever they work best.” The remaining 20% can change their location to a different Google office. The policy announced Wednesday relaxes the company’s stricter earlier stance. (5/6)
The Hill:
Trader Joe's Cuts Employee 'Thank You' Bonus After Three Months
Just months after Trader Joe's increased its special COVID-19 bonus pay for employees, the grocery chain is now looking to slash it by half, SF Gate reports. In February, Trader Joe's upped its "thank you" wages, giving employees an additional $4 an hour. The pay bump came months after the initial hazard pay was introduced at the start of the pandemic. (Polus, 5/5)
AP:
Bill Trimming Emergency Powers Heads To Governor's Desk
Legislation that curbs [Idaho] Republican Gov. Brad Little’s authority during declared emergencies such as the coronavirus pandemic is headed to the governor’s desk. The Senate on Wednesday voted 28-7 to pass the bill that’s a reworked version of previous legislation Little vetoed. Shortly after, the House passed the bill on a 48-8 vote. The earlier version of the bill was vetoed by Little and the Senate was unable to overcome the veto. But Senate leaders said Little worked with them on the latest measure, and they anticipate his approval. (Ridler, 5/6)
Fox News:
E. Coli Sends 6 Children To Hospital In Washington State
An investigation is underway after seven children in Washington state were recently sickened with a toxin-producing E. coli, public health officials announced Wednesday. All seven children developed symptoms consistent with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli – also known as STEC. At least six had to be hospitalized, including one who is recovering after developing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a potentially lethal condition that affects the kidneys. A second child is also suspected to have HUS, which typically develops in 5% to 10% of those diagnosed with a STEC infection, according to King County Public Health. (Aaro, 5/6)
AP:
Nevada Lawmakers Debate Public Health Care Option Proposal
Hospitals and insurance companies clashed with affordable health care advocates in the Nevada Legislature’s first hearing on a proposal to create state-run health insurance plans that could compete with private insurance companies on the state’s health insurance exchange. Nevada is one of many states that is considering some form of what’s called a public option to expand access and make health care more affordable. Washington passed a public option proposal in 2019, and Connecticut and Oregon are also considering similar proposals. (Metz, 5/6)
AP:
San Francisco Women Stabbed Amid Wave Of Attacks On Asians
Two elderly Asian women were stabbed as they waited for a bus in downtown San Francisco — the latest in a series of attacks against Asian Americans nationwide since the start of the pandemic last year. A woman working at a flower stall Tuesday afternoon told KGO-TV that she saw a man walking on Market Street shortly before the attack carrying “a pretty big knife” with knuckles on the handle. “Her back was turned and all I see is feathers came out of her jacket. So I am very sure that she got sliced,” the witness said of one victim. “He walked away like nothing happened, like Sunday morning.” (5/6)
AP:
House OKs Doing Away With Purchase Permits To Buy Handgun
North Carolina’s long practice of county sheriffs granting permits to local residents before they can buy a handgun would end under legislation approved by the House on Wednesday night. The North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association backed the pistol purchase permit repeal — a change in direction for the group after years of opposing the idea. Sheriffs would still perform reviews of applications for concealed weapons permits. (Robertson, 5/6)
Stat:
Indiana County Notorious For HIV Outbreak May Close Syringe Exchange
The Indiana county at the center of a devastating HIV crisis in 2015 may soon close the syringe exchange program widely credited with helping to end its outbreak. For public health advocates in Scott County, home to 24,000, the controversy is all too familiar. Six years ago, the county drew national attention for recording roughly 200 HIV cases in a single year, largely driven by injection drug use. Critics have charged that the state government’s slow response and monthslong refusal to permit needle exchanges only made the crisis worse. (Facher, 5/6)
Stateline:
States Push To Extend Postpartum Medicaid Benefits To Save Lives
More states are moving to extend Medicaid benefits to new mothers up to a full year after giving birth, far beyond the 60 days required by federal law. That development, promoted by numerous medical groups as well as official state medical boards that focus on maternal health, reflects increasing alarm over the United States’ maternal mortality rate, which is the worst among developed nations and is trending in the wrong direction. There also is a growing awareness that women face increased health risks not only during pregnancy and labor and delivery, but also for months afterward. Nearly a quarter of postpartum-related deaths occur six weeks to a year after the end of a pregnancy. (Ollove, 5/5)
ABC News:
Texas Republicans Pushing Abortion Ban After 6 Weeks
Texas would ban abortions after as early six weeks — before many women know they are pregnant — and allow private citizens to enforce the rule through civil lawsuits against doctors and others under a measure given preliminary approval by the GOP-dominated state House on Wednesday. The move would have Texas join about a dozen other Republican-led states to pass so-called “heartbeat bills" which have been mostly blocked by federal courts. (Vertuno, 5/5)
AP:
Legislation Would Prohibit Marijuana Advertising In Idaho
The Senate on Wednesday approved legislation that would prohibit commercial advertising for marijuana in Idaho, a move that could potentially stymie ballot initiatives to legalize the drug in the state. (Ridler, 5/6)
ABC News:
Former Ohio Health Director Amy Acton To Be Honored For COVID-19 Leadership
Dr. Amy Acton, Ohio's former health director who was the target of threats, will be honored by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation for her service during the COVID-19 pandemic. Acton, who became a lauded national figure for her response to the pandemic but resigned in June following threats and challenges to her authority, is one of seven people who will receive the foundation's Profile in Courage Award, it announced Tuesday. (Deliso, 5/5)
The Washington Post:
India Breaks Its Own Records Again With 412,000 New Cases And Nearly 4,000 Deaths In 24 Hours
India’s devastating coronavirus crisis deepened on Thursday as the country reported 412,000 infections and nearly 4,000 deaths in the previous 24 hours. Epidemiologists believe that India’s surge could hit 500,000 cases a day in the coming weeks before retreating. That would represent a ruinous burden for a health care system already reeling from too many patients and a shortage of crucial supplies like oxygen. (Hassan and Slater, 5/6)
Fierce Healthcare:
UnitedHealth Group Pledges $1M To India To Assist With Procuring Oxygen Concentrators Amid Worsening COVID Outbreak
UnitedHealth Group is donating $1 million to combat the growing COVID-19 outbreak crisis in India, building on $1.5 million sent previously to the country. The donation, made through the United Health Foundation, will back the purchase of 2,500 oxygen concentrators to help address India's nationwide shortage of oxygen, as well as other medical equipment necessary to combat novel coronavirus infections, UnitedHealth said. (Minemyer, 5/5)
CNN:
Nepal's Covid-19 Cases Skyrocket, Prompting Concern The Country's Outbreak Could Mimic India's
In Nepal, a situation is unfolding that looks chillingly familiar. Covid-19 cases are skyrocketing, hospitals are overwhelmed, and the country's Prime Minister is pleading for help from other nations. Nepal is now reporting about 20 daily Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people -- about the same number as India was reporting two weeks ago. (Hollingsworth, Jeong and Thapa, 5/6)
The Washington Post:
Indonesian Airport Workers Accused Of Reusing Nasal Swabs For Coronavirus Testing
As many as 9,000 people may have been given coronavirus tests using nasal swabs that had been washed and reused by an Indonesian pharmaceutical company at Kualanamu International Airport in Medan, according to police, who said they have arrested several employees and the Medan facility’s business manager. Staff working for the state-owned company Kimia Farma have reportedly been rinsing swabs and using them on passengers since late last year. Under coronavirus regulations, travelers are required to produce a negative result before flying, and the airport had used the company to supply the rapid antigen test kits. (Hassan, 5/5)
AP:
Canada Authorizes Pfizer Vaccine For Age 12 And Older
Canadian health officials said Wednesday they have become the first to approve Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for ages as young as 12. Dr. Supriya Sharma, chief medical adviser at Health Canada, confirmed the decision for ages 12 to 15 and said it will help children return to a normal life. Canada is the first country to authorize Pfizer for that age group. The U.S. and the European Union are also reviewing it. (Gillies, 5/5)
AP:
Vatican Conference Features Fauci, Francis — And Aerosmith
An eclectic mix of participants are taking part in a unique three-day Vatican conference on COVID-19, other global health threats and how science, solidarity and spirituality can address them. Along with Pope Francis, the event includes Dr. Anthony Fauci, soprano Renee Fleming, the CEOs of Pfizer and Moderna and the lead guitarist of Aerosmith. (Winfield, 5/6)
The Washington Post:
Man's Barbecue Binge Sparks New Virus Curbs In Sydney After Month Without Cases
A barbecue enthusiast who went on a Sydney-wide search for grilling supplies while infected with the coronavirus has triggered new restrictions in Australia's largest city, which is now battling new cases after a month without local transmission. Authorities are mystified as to how the man, who is in his 50s, became infected. He was not a border or quarantine worker and had not recently returned from overseas. His wife also tested positive. (Pannett, 5/6)
AP:
Anti-Olympic Petition Gains Tens Of Thousands Of Signatures
An online petition calling for the Tokyo Olympics to be canceled has gained ten of thousands of signatures since being launched in Japan just days ago. The rollout of the petition comes with Tokyo, Osaka and several other areas under a state of emergency with coronavirus infections rising — particularly new variants. The state of emergency is to expire on May 11, but some reports in Japan say it is likely to be extended. (Kageyama and Wade, 5/6)