AP: FDA: Do Not Use Recalled Infant Formulas Tied To Infections 
U.S. health officials warned parents on Thursday not to use three popular powdered infant formulas manufactured at an Abbott plant in Michigan that investigators recently linked to bacterial contamination. The Food and Drug Administration said it is investigating four reports of infants who were hospitalized after consuming the formula, including one who died. The agency said one of the cases involved salmonella and three involved Cronobacter sakazakiim, a rare but dangerous germ that can cause blood infections and other serious complications. (Perrone, 2/18)

CBS News: Abbott Recalls Baby Formulas After Four Infants Reportedly Fall Ill 
Cronobacter bacteria can cause sepsis or meningitis, which can be severe and life-threatening illnesses, according to the FDA. Symptoms of sepsis and meningitis include poor feeding, irritability, temperature changes, jaundice, grunting breaths and abnormal movements. Salmonella can cause gastrointestinal illness and fever called salmonellosis, the FDA said. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Severe cases of salmonellosis can cause a high fever, aches, headaches, lethargy, rashes and blood in urine or stool. It can become fatal. (Reardon, 2/17)

USA Today: Abbott Recall: Similac, Other Baby Formula Recalled After Illnesses
The FDA said it initiated an onsite inspection at the facility and findings to date include several positive "Cronobacter sakazakii results." “As this is a product used as the sole source of nutrition for many of our nation’s newborns and infants, the FDA is deeply concerned about these reports of bacterial infections,” said Frank Yiannas, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response, in a statement. (Tyko, 2/17)

In related news —

USA Today: Here's How To Safely Feed Your Infant During A Baby Formula Shortage
The reason for the baby formula shortage is unclear. Chains like Walmart and CVS blame supply issues, while manufacturers like Gerber, Enfamil and Similac say retailers aren’t getting their products into stores once it is delivered. Whatever the reason, bare shelves are causing parents of infants to panic. If you find yourself looking at low levels of baby formula at home, we are here to tell you there is no need to stress. There are many options and smart steps you can take to keep your baby healthy and fed. (Randazza, 2/8)

CNN: Millions Of Children Could Lose Medicaid Coverage Once The Public Health Emergency Ends 
The number of kids covered by Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program has soared to a record 40 million during the pandemic, aided by a congressional provision that bars states from disenrolling them during the public health emergency. However, at least 6.7 million children are at risk of losing that coverage and going uninsured for a period once the emergency expires, according to a new analysis released Thursday by the Georgetown Center for Children and Families. That could happen in July -- the Department of Health and Human Services has promised to provide states with 60-days notice. (Luhby, 2/17)

Kansas City Star: Report: MO Kids At Highest Risk Of Medicaid Cutoffs When Emergency Ends
Children in Missouri are among those most at risk of losing health coverage over the next several months when the federal pandemic emergency ends, a Georgetown University report finds. For the past two years, states have been barred from removing anyone from the Medicaid rolls under a public health emergency declared during the COVID-19 pandemic. They were given additional federal funds to pay for the coverage. When the emergency ends, the federal government has given states one year to undertake the massive task of re-evaluating the income and eligibility of all Medicaid recipients. (Kuang, 2/18)

OPB: Oregon Agrees To Sunset Limit On Benefits For Kids On Medicaid 
The Oregon Health Authority is quietly making a major policy change that could give doctors and families more power to negotiate what treatments are covered for children on the Oregon Health Plan. The state has been taking public comment on its latest five-year proposal for Medicaid and will submit a final draft for federal approval this month. (Templeton, 2/16)

And more Medicaid news —

Modern Healthcare: Payers, Providers Ask For 3-Month Notice Of Medicaid Redeterminations
Eight healthcare lobbying organizations want Congress to give their members at least three months notice before ending enhanced federal Medicaid funding and resuming eligibility redeterminations, they wrote in a letter to congressional leaders Thursday. A decrease in federal support for states paired with a sudden increase in the number of uninsured people has implications across the healthcare system and time to prepare is necessary, the groups wrote. (Tepper, 2/17)

Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Medicaid Closer To Launching Reform For Severe-Needs Children
The Ohio Department of Medicaid took an important step Thursday toward its July rollout of a revamped and reformed Medicaid system, announcing the 20 organizations that would launch the OhioRISE program, short for Resilience through Integrated Systems and Excellence. The program would fix the current situation where parents are at risk of giving up custody of their children to the state in order to get the required, unaffordable mental health and residential care needed by a child with severe behavioral and mental problems. (Wu, 2/17)

KHN: Missouri Takes Months To Process Medicaid Applications — Longer Than Law Allows
Aneka French applied for Medicaid in October, not long after Missouri became the 38th state to expand eligibility for the program. But her application sat for months in a backlog with tens of thousands of others. While she waited, French, 45, an uninsured medical technician from St. Louis, paid out-of-pocket when she was treated at a health clinic for a knee injury last fall. (Sable-Smith and Galewitz, 2/18)

Bloomberg: Covid Funding Is Drying Up, White House Warns U.S. Lawmakers
The Biden administration is warning lawmakers that the U.S. doesn’t have enough money on hand to respond to future Covid-19 variants, stockpile vaccines or develop new technologies. Funds for pandemic response -- including testing, vaccine distribution and other medical supplies -- have been either spent or set aside already for purchases, according to a Department of Health and Human Services document obtained by Bloomberg News. All funds provided so far have been spent or earmarked for use. (Griffin, 2/17)

Politico: Biden Wants Billions More In Covid Funding. Lawmakers Aren't Eager To Spend Big — Again
Lawmakers aren’t eager to spend big — again — on a pandemic many would just as soon declare over. President Joe Biden’s cabinet members and public health experts say they are running out of money to battle Covid-19 and need tens of billions more dollars to continue vaccination, testing and medicine distribution efforts at home and abroad. (Ollstein, 2/17)

In related news —

Houston Chronicle: Senate Blocks Ted Cruz’s Attempt To Defund Biden Vaccine Mandates
The U.S. Senate on Thursday shot down attempts by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz to defund President Joe Biden’s federal vaccine mandates and strip funding from schools that require students to get vaccinated against COVID. Cruz was one of a handful of Senate Republicans who threatened to block a short-term government funding bill unless the Senate voted on amendments blocking funding for vaccine requirements. The Senate rejected both amendments and passed a bill funding the government through March 11, averting a shutdown ahead of a Friday deadline. (Wermund, 2/17)

In more news from the federal government —

NPR: Biden Administration Says It Will Distribute High-Quality Masks For Kids
The Biden administration will soon make more high-quality masks available for kids. Dr. Tom Inglesby, senior adviser to the White House COVID- 19 Response Team, said in a briefing on Wednesday that 230 million masks have already been delivered to pharmacies and community health centers. And now, he said, there will be an expanded effort focused on children. "We are now in the process of planning for the distribution of masks for children. And we'll have more to say about that in the days ahead. But there's a commitment to do that, and there's a process underway, certainly, for all adults to get masks now for free at pharmacies and community health clinics across the country," Inglesby said. (Wamsley, 2/17)

Bloomberg: State Of The Union 2022: Masks, Negative Tests Required Of In-Person Congress
All members of Congress will be allowed to attend President Joe Biden’s first State of the Union address, but they must follow Covid-19 health guidelines, including masking, or risk being tossed from the event and fined. A memo Thursday by House Sergeant at Arms William Walker lays out the rules for the March 1 address to a joint session of Congress, including limiting lawmakers to one non-transferable ticket and requiring they attest to negative Covid-19 results. (House, 2/17)

CBS News: Unexplained Injuries Similar To Previous "Havana Syndrome" Cases Afflicted U.S. Officials On White House Grounds 
High-ranking Homeland Security officials in the Trump administration say they were overcome with feelings of vertigo, confusion and memory loss while on White House grounds and in their Washington, D.C.-area homes. The incidents and symptoms they describe are similar to the "Havana Syndrome" that has been reported by American diplomats in foreign countries since 2016. The officials spoke to 60 Minutes for a new report airing Sunday. Other stories of officials being stricken were corroborated by former National Security Adviser John Bolton, who fears there is a threat to the highest levels of the U.S. government. (2/17)

KHN: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: It’s Health Costs, Stupid (2022 Edition)
The pandemic may be showing signs of winding down, but health care costs are not. In Massachusetts, a fight is shaping up over whether one of the most prestigious hospital systems needs to save money, while antitrust cases against other hospital systems have been filed in California, Connecticut, and North Carolina. Meanwhile, the Senate confirmed Dr. Robert Califf to head the FDA, finally filling out the Biden administration’s health leadership. Califf’s nomination was strongly opposed by anti-abortion groups, but, in the end, he won the votes of several Republicans who are not running for reelection. (2/17)

CNN: As BA.2 Subvariant Of Omicron Rises, Lab Studies Point To Signs Of Severity 
The BA.2 virus -- a subvariant of the Omicron coronavirus variant -- isn't just spreading faster than its distant cousin, it may also cause more severe disease and appears capable of thwarting some of the key weapons we have against Covid-19, new research suggests. New lab experiments from Japan show that BA.2 may have features that make it as capable of causing serious illness as older variants of Covid-19, including Delta. And like Omicron, it appears to largely escape the immunity created by vaccines. A booster shot restores protection, making illness after infection about 74% less likely. BA.2 is also resistant to some treatments, including sotrovimab, the monoclonal antibody that's currently being used against Omicron. (Goodman, 2/17)

Nature: Why Does The Omicron Sub-Variant Spread Faster Than The Original?
COVID-19 researchers are rushing to understand why a relative of the main Omicron variant is displacing its sibling in countries around the world. The variant, known as BA.2, has spread rapidly in countries including Denmark, the Philippines and South Africa in the past few weeks. It follows the initial spread of the BA.1 Omicron variant of the virus SARS-CoV-2, which was first identified in southern Africa in late November and quickly spread worldwide. (Callaway, 2/16)

The Washington Post: Americans Are Tired Of The Pandemic. But Disease Experts Preach Caution — And Endure A ‘Kill The Messenger’ Moment
It turns out that winding down a pandemic response is in many ways much harder than launching a response when the virus is new, fresh and at its scariest. And in the pell-mell rush for the pandemic exits, even some people who were formerly supportive of public health measures designed to suppress the virus now don’t want anyone standing in their way. “Public health is sort of the bearer of bad news. This is basically a kill-the-messenger phenomenon,” said Yale University epidemiologist Gregg Gonsalves, who has been a vocal proponent of continuing measures to protect the most vulnerable communities. (Achenbach, 2/17)

In other news about the spread of the coronavirus —

Bloomberg: Colorado Health Officials End Covid Crisis Declaration
Colorado health officials Thursday ended a Covid-19 crisis declaration aimed at plugging hospital staffing shortages and allowing ambulance providers to impose stricter screening of 911 calls for assistance. “Crisis standards of care” provided guidelines for allocating resources and “the decision to deactivate these standards is based on recent modeling and steadily declining cases and hospitalizations,” Eric France, the state’s chief medical officer, said in a printed statement. (Del Giudice, 2/17)

AP: CDC: NYC Anime Convention Did Not Spread Omicron Widely 
When a person tested positive for omicron after attending an anime convention in New York City late last year, health officials raced to determine if the indoor gathering was a superspreader event. It wasn’t, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded Thursday. Widespread masking, vaccinations and good air flow at the Javits Center prevented the highly contagious omicron variant from spreading widely. (Stobbe, 2/17)

KHN: Inmates Who Died Asked For Release Before Falling Ill With Covid 
Rory Adams did not know that Christmas in a small rural hospital in West Virginia would be the last time he saw his wife alive. She’d entered prison in early January 2021 to serve a 42-month sentence for failure to collect payroll taxes. She was supposed to return to North Carolina, their two adult children, and their quilting business this summer. But when he saw her, she was heavily sedated. A ventilator was helping her breathe as she struggled with covid-19. Rebecca “Maria” Adams, 59, died 18 days after Christmas in the same hospital bed. The pandemic has proved especially deadly behind bars. Inmates are more than twice as likely to die of covid as the general population. And the deaths continue to pile up. (Dawson, 2/18)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: COVID-19 Cases Surged In Wisconsin Nursing Homes, But Not Deaths
The number of Wisconsin nursing home residents dying from COVID-19 has remained relatively low, despite a surge in omicron cases that recently buffeted nursing homes and is now waning. Last month, more nursing home workers in Wisconsin tested positive for COVID-19 in a single week than during any other week in the pandemic — a weekly record of 1,290 workers tested positive the week ending Jan. 9. It was unclear at that point whether COVID-19 cases in residents would follow and to what extent. (Volpenhein, 2/17)

Also —

The Atlantic: COVID Is More Like Smoking Than The Flu
It’s suddenly become acceptable to say that COVID is—or will soon be—like the flu. Such analogies have long been the preserve of pandemic minimizers, but lately they’ve been creeping into more enlightened circles. Last month the dean of a medical school wrote an open letter to his students suggesting that for a vaccinated person, the risk of death from COVID-19 is “in the same realm, or even lower, as the average American’s risk from flu.” A few days later, David Leonhardt said as much to his millions of readers in the The New York Times’ morning newsletter. And three prominent public-health experts have called for the government to recognize a “new normal” in which the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus “is but one of several circulating respiratory viruses that include influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and more.” (Mazer, 2/17)

CNBC: Is It Safe To Travel If I'm Vaccinated And Recovered From Covid
Millions of people are now vaccinated, boosted and newly recovered from Covid-19 infections caused by the omicron variant. They have what some outside the medical community have labeled “super immunity.” And many are ready to see the world again. Though the term carries an air of invincibility, medical experts disagree about the level and length of protection it confers. CNBC Travel asked four leading medical authorities to weigh in. (Pitrelli, 2/18)

KHN: As Covid Slogs On, Seniors Find Fortitude Waning And Malaise Growing
Late one night in January, Jonathan Coffino, 78, turned to his wife as they sat in bed. “I don’t know how much longer I can do this,” he said, glumly. Coffino was referring to the caution that’s come to define his life during the covid-19 pandemic. After two years of mostly staying at home and avoiding people, his patience is frayed and his distress is growing. “There’s a terrible fear that I’ll never get back my normal life,” Coffino told me, describing feelings he tries to keep at bay. “And there’s an awful sense of purposelessness.” (Graham, 2/18)

AP: California Adopts Nation's 1st 'Endemic' Virus Policy
California became the first state to formally shift to an “endemic” approach to the coronavirus with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement Thursday of a plan that emphasizes prevention and quick reaction to outbreaks over mandated masking and business shutdowns. The milestone, nearly two years in the making, envisions a return to a more normal existence with the help of a variety of initiatives and billions in new spending to more quickly spot surges or variants, add health care workers, stockpile tests and push back against false claims and other misinformation. (Thompson, 2/18)

San Francisco Chronicle: After Lifting Mask Mandate, California Unveils Plan To Ease Into Next Stage Of Life With COVID
The crisis phase of the 2-year-old coronavirus pandemic is winding down in California, and the state on Thursday announced its strategy for coexisting with COVID in the long term — relying on generally less restrictive and more fluid public health measures to tackle future surges. The plan unveiled Thursday marks a profound shift in California’s approach to the pandemic, not so much in the details of the new strategy — which relies largely on familiar tools like vaccines and masking to deploy as needed — as in the tone of optimism about the state’s ability to manage the virus in the long run. (Allday, 2/17)

Los Angeles Times: California Lays Out Cautious Blueprint Forward As COVID Wanes
California officials on Thursday offered a cautious blueprint for the next phase of the pandemic, expressing optimism at the progress that has been made but stressing the state must be prepared for the potential for new variants and waves. The plan comes amid a growing push in some quarters to finally move on from two years of restrictions due to the coronavirus. While mask mandates have been easing, state officials essentially said that it’s unwise to fly a “mission accomplished” banner and that the most important thing now is to be prepared for any contingencies — and to learn from past lessons. (Money and Lin II, 2/17)

Also —

Axios: America's Rapid — Yet Unequal — Pandemic Off-Ramp
America is accelerating toward a return to pre-pandemic life, though millions of people aren't yet comfortable abandoning pandemic precautions — or they feel downright threatened by the rapid reversal. For the majority of Americans — particularly vaccinated ones — the virus no longer poses a severe threat to their health, at least for now. But that isn't uniformly true. (Owens, 2/18)

Bloomberg: Apple Update Lets Face ID Unlock IPhone With Mask On
Apple Inc.’s next iPhone software update will finally address a grumble that’s been bugging users since the Covid pandemic started: You’ll finally be able to unlock your phone without first taking off your mask. The updated Face ID feature is expected to work on iPhones and iPads and is likely to be included in iOS 15.4, expected to be released sometime in the first half of March. (McKay, 2/18)

CNN: We Tested Apple's New Option To Unlock An IPhone While Wearing A Mask 
I stood outside a busy New York City subway stop recently, dressed like a celebrity trying not to be recognized. My face was covered with sunglasses, a baseball cap and my black KN95 mask.B ut my iPhone immediately recognized me as its rightful owner, without needing me to uncover my face. The device swiftly unlocked when I swiped up to use Face ID. For much of the past two years, many iPhone users, myself included, have lost some of the convenience of being able to seamlessly unlock the device with their face because they were masked. Apple's latest software update is intended to address that pandemic headache. (Kelly, 2/17)

More states and cities lift mask mandates —

AP: Washington State To Lift Indoor Mask Mandate March 21
Washington’s statewide indoor mask mandate, one of the few left in the country, will lift in most places on March 21, including at schools and child care facilities, Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday. And starting on March 1, vaccine verification or proof of a negative COVID-19 test will no longer be required for attendance at large events. (La Corte, 2/18)

AP: New Mexico Governor Lifts State's Indoor Mask Mandate 
Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham lifted the state’s mask mandate for indoor public spaces on Thursday. She made the surprise announcement at a news conference that followed the end of the 30-day legislative session. The state’s top health official had said just last week that masks were effective and that New Mexico was still in “hot water.” (Bryan, 2/17)

AP: Arizona House Bills Ban Masks In Schools, Business Shutdowns 
Parents would have to give explicit permission for schools to be able to require their children to wear face masks under one of a series of bills approved by the Arizona House Thursday that target government rules imposed during the coronavirus pandemic. The school mask proposal passed with no Democratic support, as did proposals that block government agencies from requiring mask s to be worn on their property and repeal the power of local government officials to order business closures. (Christie, 2/17)

AP: Indiana Schools Can Stop Masking, Reporting COVID Cases Soon
Indiana schools and child care programs will no longer have to conduct contact tracing or report COVID-19 cases to the state Department of Health as of next Wednesday, state officials announced Thursday. Students who are exposed to a COVID-19 case also won’t have to quarantine, regardless of their vaccination status or whether their schools require masks. (2/17)

AP: NC Lawmakers OK Bill Giving Student Opt-Out To Mask Mandates
North Carolina parents could permit their K-12 students to opt out of mask-wearing mandates set by local education boards inside schools in legislation approved by the General Assembly on Thursday. The bill now heads to the desk of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who as the final vote was being completed held a news conference to encourage local governments -- including boards of education -- to end broad mask requirements, as COVID-19 transmission rates and hospitalizations fall. (Robertson, 2/17)

In news about vaccine mandates —

Houston Chronicle: Federal Court Must Reconsider Religious Exception To United Employees’ Vaccine Mandate
A federal appeals court has ordered a lower court reconsider making an exception to United Airlines’ COVID-19 vaccine mandate for certain employees. The majority on the 5th U.S. Circuit panel ruled in favor of requiring the trial judge look again at allowing these workers to continue as normal in their jobs without getting the vaccine. The majority on a three-judge panel ruled on a very narrow question, but in a seething dissent, one judge said he would rather “hide my head in a bag” than join the unpublished ruling he indicated would not be upheld on the merits. (Banks, 2/17)

CBS News: More Big Companies Are Dropping Vaccine Requirement For Workers 
As some of the biggest U.S. employers lift mask mandates for vaccinated workers, other companies are going even further and discarding requirements that employees get their COVID-19 shots. Germany's Adidas told its U.S. workers on Monday that it would no longer require they get vaccinated against the virus. ... Intel has paused its requirement that workers get vaccinated or face unpaid leave starting in April. (Gibson, 2/17)

The Washington Post: Marine Charged In Jan. 6 Riot Is Arrested In N.Y. For Selling Forged Vaccine Cards To Unvaccinated, Including Other Military Members 
A Marine reservist already facing charges over alleged participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol was arrested Thursday on charges he acquired coronavirus vaccination cards to be sold to unvaccinated customers including other service members, according to federal prosecutors. Jia Liu, 26, was indicted on charges including conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and conspiracy to commit forgery over his alleged efforts with a medical clinic nurse who was also charged. The pair allegedly distributed cards to at least 300 people who did not get vaccinated but who wanted proof that they had. They also made more than 70 false entries in immunization databases, the government said. (Jacobs, 2/17)

The New York Times: Oscars Will Require Covid Tests For All, Vaccines For Most 
After much internal discussion, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has come to an agreement on coronavirus safety measures for attendees of the 94th Oscars, which will be held on March 27 in Los Angeles: The audience of 2,500 invited guests — including all nominees — will be required to show proof of vaccination against the coronavirus and at least two negative P.C.R. tests. Performers and presenters also must undergo rigorous testing — but those people will not need to show proof of vaccination, a decision that an academy spokeswoman said on Thursday was in keeping with virus safety protocols on some television sets and return-to-work standards set by Los Angeles County. (Barnes, 2/17)

CIDRAP: Study: COVID-19 Vaccination Protective Against Developing Long COVID
A new review of 15 studies analyzed by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows COVID-19 vaccination is protective against developing symptoms of long COVID, or symptoms lasting longer than 4 weeks after the initial infection. The UKHSA said approximately 2% of people in the United Kingdom with COVID-19 have gone on to develop long COVID, with the most common symptoms being lingering fatigue, shortness of breath, and muscle and joint pain. (2/17)

CIDRAP: COVID Vaccines Offer Lasting Protection Against Reinfection, Studies Find 
A pair of studies yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) suggest good, durable protection of COVID-19 vaccines against recurrent infection. Researchers from Clalit Health Services in Tel Aviv, Israel, retrospectively analyzed the electronic health records of 83,356 recipients of at least one dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine after recovery from infection and 65,676 unvaccinated survivors. (Van Beusekom, 2/17)

In updates on the vaccine rollout —

The Baltimore Sun: Maryland To Offer COVID Vaccine Booster Shots At Casinos
The Maryland Department of Health will begin offering COVID-19 vaccine booster shots at Maryland’s six casinos, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Thursday. The expansion is part of the governor’s booster action plan, which includes the $2 million VaxCash 2.0 Promotion with the Maryland Lottery to further incentivize Marylanders to get a booster shot against COVID-19 and its variants. “Getting a booster shot is a safe bet on your health, and millions of Marylanders have already stepped up to get one,” Hogan said in a statement. “These clinics are another way to get more vaccines to the community, and I want to thank our casinos across the state for being such great community partners.” (2/18)

The New York Times: Will Adults Need A Fourth Dose Of Covid Vaccine? It’s Too Soon To Know
Although new federal data suggests that the effectiveness of booster shots wanes after about four months, the Biden administration is not planning to recommend fourth doses of the coronavirus vaccine anytime soon. “We simply don’t have enough data to know that it’s a good thing to do,” Dr. Peter Marks, who heads the division of the Food and Drug Administration that regulates vaccines, said in an interview this week. (LaFraniere, 2/17)

Salt Lake Tribune: There’s New Advice To Help Immunocompromised Utahns Stay Safe From COVID
New vaccine guidelines call for people who are immunocompromised to get their 4th vaccine shot earlier than previously was recommended — but that’s not the only advice one Utah doctor had this week. “These are people that work in the community. These are students. These are teachers. These are children. They’re really everybody. And it’s very common to have someone in your life with a major immunocompromising condition, especially among patients who may not share that information,” said Dr. Hannah Imlay, a professor of infectious diseases who specializes in immunocompromised patients at University of Utah Health. (Alberty, 2/17)

Also —

Stat: Pfizer Criticized Over Patent Strategy For Covid-19 Pill
Although Pfizer (PFE) agreed to make its Covid-19 pill available in 95 low and middle-income countries, the company is simultaneously filing patents in dozens of other nations representing nearly half of the global population, raising fresh questions about restricted access, according to a new report. Such a patent strategy is expected given the potential for the pill, called Paxlovid, to generate significant revenue. Last week, Pfizer forecasted sales of $22 billion this year, although that could rise depending on whether additional contracts are signed or extended with countries not covered by the deal with the Medicines Patent Pool. (Silverman, 2/17)

Bloomberg: Merck’s Covid Antiviral Pill to Be Discussed by EU Drug Regulators Next Week
European Union drug regulators said they will discuss Merck & Co.’s antiviral pill next week amid a report that the drug faces potential rejection. A panel of the European Medicines Agency will consider the drug’s effectiveness at the meeting, Marco Cavaleri, the regulator’s head of biological health threats and vaccines strategy, said at a briefing on Thursday. He declined to comment on the robustness of the evidence to back the pill. (Mulier, 2/17)

Axios: Hospitals On High Alert For Cyberattacks
Federal officials issued alerts this week about the increased potential for cyber attacks against critical U.S. infrastructure targets as tensions escalate between Russia and Ukraine — and that includes health care. But as health care continues to grapple with the strain of the pandemic, it could be particularly vulnerable to attacks, experts say. "Even before this escalation with Ukraine, I was seeing threat actors take advantage of COVID for ransomware attacks because hospitals were short-staffed, everyone was stressed, the hospitals' census population is super high," Heather Hughes, director of client engagement and solutions at cyber insurer Resilience, told Axios. (Reed, 2/18)

In other health care industry updates —

Stat: As States Push Privacy Laws, Health Tech Startups Fear Compliance Chaos
Health tech companies worried that an emerging patchwork of state privacy laws will drive up regulatory costs are joining privacy hardliners in the call for one nationwide standard to govern how they handle patient data. Massachusetts legislators advanced a data privacy bill earlier this month, and if it passes, the state will join Virginia, Colorado, and California at the leading edge of enacting their own consumer privacy laws. These — and many measures being discussed in state legislatures around the country — are designed to grant consumers control over the sharing, storage and sale of their data, including the growing ecosystem of health apps that don’t fall under the federal patient privacy law HIPAA. (Ravindranath, 2/18)

The Boston Globe: R.I. Attorney General Denies Lifespan-Care New England Health Care Merger
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha on Thursday rejected the proposed merger of Lifespan and Care New England, saying it would hurt consumers by creating a health care giant with a stranglehold on the local market. “If this extraordinary and unprecedented level of control and consolidation were allowed to go forward, nearly all Rhode Islanders would see their healthcare costs go up, for health care that is lower in quality and harder to access, and Rhode Island’s healthcare workers would be harmed,” Neronha wrote in a 150-page decision denying the companies’ merger application. (Gagosz, 2/17)

Modern Healthcare: Cerner Pilots Program For Quicker Disability Claims Process
Cerner has entered an agreement with the U.S. Social Security Administration to help simplify its processing of patient disability benefits claims through the retrieval of medical information from health systems' electronic health records. Together, the organizations will attempt to shorten the transfer time of relevant, patient-directed medical records being sent from health systems to the Social Security Administration, potentially cutting down the process from weeks or months to seconds or minutes, Cerner announced on Tuesday. (Devereaux, 2/17)

And more about health care workers —

AP: Home Care Workers Block Hartford Street, Demand Better Wages
Unionized home care workers and their supporters blocked a major Hartford intersection near the state Capitol on Thursday, demanding Gov. Ned Lamont allocate more funding in his proposed state budget for better wages and basic benefits, including health insurance and paid sick days. Lt. Aaron Boisvert, a spokesperson for the Hartford Police, said 20 people were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. A news release issued by the union SEIU District 1199NE said 21 people were arrested during the protest, which shut down the intersection of Capitol Avenue and Trinity, Washington and Lafayette streets. (2/18)

Axios: AMN Healthcare's Travel Nurse Division Cashes In On Pandemic's Staff Shortages 
AMN Healthcare, one of the largest health care staffing firms, reported record travel nurse revenue and profits last year, especially in the fourth quarter. The Omicron variant of the coronavirus battered hospital staffs, especially among nurses, and pushed hospitals to pay up for whatever help they could get — and those same forces benefited companies who place traveling nurses. (Herman, 2/18)

The Boston Globe: Brigham Reaffirms Antiracism Work After Neo-Nazi Demonstration
Steps from where white supremacists held a banner last month protesting the hospital’s antiracism work, several dozen employees at Brigham and Women’s Hospital on Thursday held up a banner of their own, this one broadcasting the staff’s unity against racism. The event was coordinated by Brigham and Women’s communications staff after employees voiced a desire to come together. In January, two dozen people affiliated with a neo-Nazi group held up a sign that read “B&W Hospital Kills Whites,” protesting the hospital’s work to reduce inequities in medicine. Staff standing behind the hospital’s “United Against Racism” banner presented a counterimage. (Bartlett, 2/17)

The Denver Post: Plastic Surgeon Arrested In Connection To Death Of Teen Patient Who Died During Breast Augmentation Surgery
A Greenwood Village, Colorado plastic surgeon has been arrested in connection to the death of an 18-year-old patient. Dr. Geoffrey Kim, 52, turned himself into authorities on Wednesday accompanied by an attorney, according to an Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office news release. Kim is being investigated for the death of Emmalyn Nguyen. An arrest warrant had been issued for Kim on suspicion of two felonies, first-degree aggravated assault and criminally negligent homicide, according to the release. (Nicholson, 2/17)

Stat: FTC Votes Against Probing The Controversial Practices Of PBMs
In a closely watched meeting, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission voted against proceeding with a study to examine pharmacy benefit managers and how their controversial practices affect independent and specialty pharmacy operations. The decision came after impassioned testimony from numerous pharmacy owners who complained about problems with reimbursement, contract transparency, and assorted fees, among other issues. But the four commissioners deadlocked in a 2-to-2 tie over a last-minute effort to broaden the study to look at rebates collected by pharmacy benefit managers for negotiating coverage of prescription medicines. (Silverman, 2/17)

Modern Healthcare: FTC Votes Against Investigation Into PBM Business Practices
On Thursday, the Federal Trade Commission voted 2-2 against studying how the business practices of pharmacy benefit managers effect independent pharmacies. Commissioners Noah Phillips and Christine Wilson, who were both appointed by former President Donald Trump, voted against the study, arguing it should be more focused on consumers. The vote came after nearly two hours of testimony from independent pharmacies and advocates who claimed that PBM business practices have hurt their businesses and led to closures across the country. No one testified on the behalf of PBMs. (Hellmann, 2/17)

In other pharmaceutical and biotech news —

AP: Pharmaceutical Company To Add 400 Jobs In North Carolina 
An over-the-counter pharmaceutical company is expanding its facilities in North Carolina and adding nearly 400 jobs, officials said Thursday. News outlets report BestCo LLC is investing another $177 million in expanding its Mooresville facilities, according to an announcement from the Iredell County Economic Development Corporation and state officials. (2/17)

Stat: Agios Wins FDA Approval For Drug To Treat Rare Form Of Anemia
The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved a new drug from Agios Pharmaceuticals to treat people with a rare form of anemia. The Agios drug, mitapivat, is the first approved treatment for pyruvate kinase deficiency, a rare, inherited disorder that results in the rapid destruction of red blood cells. Given as a pill, mitapivat is designed to activate an enzyme called pyruvate kinase-R that red blood cells use to convert sugars into energy. PK deficiency affects approximately 3,000 people in the U.S. (Feuerstein, 2/17)

Stat: In TGF-Beta, Scientists See A Way To Make Immunotherapy More Effective
Of all the wily ways tumors have to turn back attacks from therapies or the immune system, an immune protein called TGF-beta may be one of the most curious. In healthy tissues, it can trigger pre-cancerous cells to kill themselves, and helps the body heal from wounds. But cancer cells can take control of TGF-beta and use it to disable the immune system, protect itself, and spread across the body. That’s made it an alluring target for cancer researchers, who are keen to turn the tables on TGF-beta and use it to break down tumor defenses and, in turn, make cancer immunotherapy drugs more effective in more patients. (Chen, 2/17)

AP: No New Settlement Yet Of Opioid Claims Against Purdue Pharma 
OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and a group of states have not been able to agree on a multibillion-dollar settlement of lawsuits over the drug's role in the opioid crisis after more than a month of mediation. A mediator could call for still more talks between the parties, Purdue lawyer Marshall Huebner said at a hearing Thursday, indicating there could be a call for further mediation. (Mulvihill, 2/17)

In obituaries —

The Baltimore Sun: Carlton Haywood Jr., A Health Equity Researcher Who Advocated For Sickle Cell Disease Patients, Dies At 45 
Dr. Carlton Haywood Jr., an assistant professor in the Berman Institute of Bioethics and in the division of hematology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, died Dec. 31 at Johns Hopkins Hospital. The Baltimore resident was 45. A cause of death was unavailable... “For the first three years of his life, Dr. Haywood screamed so often and so terribly that his parents, Carlton Sr. and Harriett Haywood, thought they must be doing something wrong,” according to a 2013 Baltimore Sun profile of him. “By 1979, when his sister Tammy was born, they had moved to Alabama, a state that mandated sickle cell testing for all newborns. She didn’t have the disease but carried some traits, so doctors suggested they test their son.” (Rasmussen, 2/18)

ABC News: Sexual Assault Reports Increase At US Military Academies
Reported sexual assaults at the U.S. military academies increased sharply during the 2020-21 school year, as students returned to in-person classes during the coronavirus pandemic. The increase continues what officials believe is an upward trend at the academies, despite an influx of new sexual assault prevention and treatment programs. (Baldor, 2/17)

In other public health news —

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Precious Cargo: Donor Lungs Get Seat On Southwest Flight To St. Louis As Transplant Team Fights Time And Snowstorm 
A recent early morning Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago to St. Louis had some highly unusual and precious cargo. Boarding the plane at the last minute: a cooler containing a pair of lungs. A three-member transplant team had left St. Louis in a small Mid-America Transplant plane just after midnight on Friday, Jan. 28. At the time, it appeared they could easily get the life-saving gift of donated lungs in Chicago and return before a threatening snowstorm hit. Dr. Michael Pasque, a surgeon from Barnes-Jewish Hospital, procured the lungs around 4:30 a.m., which started the clock ticking. Blood flow must be restored to the organs within six to eight hours before they start to become damaged. (Munz, 2/17)

CBS News: Sure And Brut Deodorant Sprays Recalled Nationwide After Benzene Detected 
Sure and Brut aerosol deodorant sprays sold nationwide are being recalled due to the presence of benzene, a cancer-causing chemical, according to a notice posted by the Food and Drug Administration. The recall includes all lot numbers with expiration dates on or before August 2023, TCP Hot Acquisition dba HRB Brands, which markets the products, stated Wednesday in a news release. (Gibson, 2/17)

Fox News: Supermodel Raises Alarm On Paradox Of CoolSculpting
One of the most popular supermodels of the 1990s, Linda Evangelista, recently filed a lawsuit this past September for $50 million in damages against CoolSculpting's parent company, Zeltiq Aesthetics Inc., for being "brutally disfigured" after having seven sessions of the procedure from August 2015 to February 2016, according to a recent People report. "I loved being up on the catwalk. Now I dread running into someone I know," she recently told People while in tears. "I can't live like this anymore, in hiding and shame. I just couldn't live in this pain any longer. I'm willing to finally speak."  (Sudhakar, 2/17)

Cincinnati Enquirer: Police: Man Fatally Shot By Officers Was Having A Mental Health Crisis
The man who was fatally shot by Monroe police on Friday was having a mental health crisis, according to new information released by the Monroe Police Department late Thursday night. Dustin Booth, 35, was killed when officers conducted a traffic stop near New Garver Road and Lebanon Street. Monroe police said Booth exited the vehicle during the stop, refused to comply with the officers' commands, and pulled a handgun from his waistband. Police said that's when officers fired shots at Booth. (Endale, 2/17)

AP: High Levels Of 'Forever Chemicals' Found In Those Near Base
Residents living near an Air National Guard base in northern Delaware have average blood levels of certain toxic manmade chemicals that are significantly higher than the national average, according to a report by federal researchers. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry tested 214 people from 134 households for exposure to fluorinated chemical compounds that are collectively known as PFAS. The study included analyzing blood and urine samples, as well as testing tap water and dust samples from a small subset of homes. (Chase, 2/17)

In other environmental news from Pennsylvania and Georgia —

ABC News: Lead Contamination Found In Philadelphia Schools' Water: Report 
An environmental group said Philadelphia's school system needs to re-examine and rework its water pipes after a study found major lead contamination in school buildings. The report, which was released by the PennPIRG Education Fund, the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center and the Black Church Center for Justice and Equality, found that 61% of outlets tested across 65 schools were tainted with lead. (Pereira, 2/17)

ProPublica/Georgia Health News: How A Powerful Company Persuaded Georgia To Let It Bury Toxic Waste In Groundwater 
For the past several years, Georgia Power has gone to great lengths to skirt the federal rule requiring coal-fired power plants to safely dispose of massive amounts of toxic waste they produced. But previously unreported documents obtained by ProPublica show that the company’s efforts were more extensive than publicly known. Thousands of pages of internal government correspondence and corporate filings show how Georgia Power made an elaborate argument as to why it should be allowed to store waste produced before 2020 in a way that wouldn’t fully protect surrounding communities’ water supplies from contamination — and that would save the company potentially billions of dollars in cleanup costs. (Blau, 2/19)

In updates from Florida —

WUSF Public Media: Letter Signed By Hundreds Of Florida Health Care Workers Reflects Concern Over Abortion Bill 
To date, close to 700 Florida clinicians have signed an open letter opposing the abortion ban, calling it "bad medicine" and "bad policy.” Tampa OB-GYN and University of South Florida professor Dr. Shelly Holmstrom is one of the signees. She says the bill — which would ban abortion eight weeks earlier than the current standard — would harm patients. "This 15-week ban, it's nowhere near the threshold of viability during a pregnancy,” she said. “There are many patients of mine and throughout the state of Florida that don't even realize they're pregnant by 15 weeks. A few of my patients have two or three menstrual cycles a year and may not realize until well into the second trimester." (Carter, 2/17)

WUSF Public Media: Bills Would Guarantee Visitation At Florida’s Health Care Facilities, Even During A Pandemic 
Jean White has fond memories of her mother visiting her at the horse farm she lives on in Brooksville, before her mom's dementia worsened and she started living in a memory care facility. “Interestingly enough, she would remember one of my ponies' names, Teegan, long after she kind of didn't know my name,” White said as she prepared to feed her animals. White's mother moved into a facility in Brandon just as coronavirus lockdowns began in the spring of 2020. The family never even entered her room. White said window visits were too upsetting for her mom, and said even after families were finally allowed in months later there was no consistency. Sometimes she could visit; other times she couldn't because a resident or staff member had the virus. All the while her mom's health was deteriorating. (Colombini, 2/17)

Health News Florida: Has Florida's Surgeon General Role Become Too Politicized For The Job's Original Mission? 
Fewer than five states have a surgeon general. Arkansas has one. California's Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed the state's first surgeon general in 2019, but the doctor resigned this month. In Pennsylvania, the title is physician general. Michigan has the position, but it hasn't been filled in years. Since 2007, Florida governors have appointed a doctor for the role. The state Senate then votes to confirm that choice. The Senate is now in the process of confirming Gov. Ron DeSantis' latest pick. However, critics of the governor's administration say the role has gotten too politicized to fulfill the original mission of serving as the top advocate for wellness and disease prevention. (Zaragovia, 2/17)

In updates from Rhode Island and California —

The Boston Globe: R.I. Legislators Grill Human Services Over Long Wait Times
State legislators on Thursday grilled Department of Human Services officials about the long wait times and delays that Rhode Islanders face when they try to get food stamps and other public benefits. And members of the House Oversight Committee pressed for answers about why the department has not moved more quickly in filling 71 vacancies in front-line and support staff positions. Representative Edith H. Ajello, a Providence Democrat, said she is frustrated by reports that people had been waiting on the phone for more than two hours to apply for food stamps — officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. (Fitzpatrick, 2/17)

KHN: ‘I Just Want To Stay In One Spot’: From Homeless To Housed In Rugged Del Norte 
On a rainy winter morning, Jamie Hayden stopped in to visit with Diane Timothio. A case manager in Del Norte County on California’s remote northern coast, Hayden comes by often, sometimes staying for hours, to work with Timothio. Work can mean different things: going to doctor’s appointments, building her comfort level with eating at a restaurant, or listening to Timothio recount stories about the past. Right now, the pair are working on using the internet, so there’s a lot of time spent on web searches. (Barry-Jester, 2/18)

The Washington Post: Africa May Have Been Hit Harder By The Coronavirus Pandemic Than Anyone Knew 
It’s one of the enduring mysteries of covid-19: Why didn’t the pandemic hit low-income African nations as hard as wealthy countries in North America and Europe? There is no simple answer to that question. But this week, two new studies added to our understanding of it. One suggested that the number of covid-19 cases may be vastly undercounted across the continent; another found good evidence that the number of deaths in at least one country could be significantly undercounted. (Taylor, 2/18)

Axios: U.S. To Spend $250 Million In Vaccine Support To African Countries
The Biden administration will ramp up its support of efforts to vaccinate the world with a "surge" in assistance to 11 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, a USAID spokesperson confirmed Thursday. The global supply of vaccines has largely gone to developed nations. Officials worry that new COVID-19 variants could emerge from countries with low vaccination rates. (Gonzalez, 2/17)

Bloomberg: Vaccination In Africa: Six Countries To Get MRNA Technology From WHO
The World Health Organization said six countries in Africa will be given technology to produce mRNA Covid-19 vaccines as part of its vaccine hub program that bypasses major pharmaceutical producers of the doses including Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia were approved as the first recipients of the initiative, which aims to give countries in Africa the tools and know-how to produce their own shots, the WHO said. (Hoffman, 2/18)

In other news from Africa —

Bloomberg: Malawi Has Its First Wild Polio Case In Three Decades
The first wild polio virus case in 30 years has been confirmed in Malawi, sparking concern that the disease that causes paralysis could spread from the only two countries where it is endemic, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Malawian case in the capital, Lilongwe, has been tied to a strain of the virus found in an outbreak in Pakistan’s Sindh province in 2019, the Global Polio Laboratory Network said in a statement on Thursday. The samples from the three-year-old girl were collected in late November after onset of paralysis. (Sguazzin, 2/18)

The New York Times: An Undiscovered Coronavirus? The Mystery Of The ‘Russian Flu’ 
In May 1889, people living in Bukhara, a city that was then part of the Russian Empire, began sickening and dying. The respiratory virus that killed them became known as the Russian flu. It swept the world, overwhelming hospitals and killing the old with special ferocity. Schools and factories were forced to close because so many students and workers were sick. Some of the infected described an odd symptom: a loss of smell and taste. And some of those who recovered reported a lingering exhaustion. (Kolata, 2/14)

NPR: Before COVID, TB Was The World's Worst Pathogen. It's Still A 'Monster' Killer
Until the emergence of COVID-19, tuberculosis was the deadliest infectious disease in the world. How did it evolve from a terrible disease to a largely controlled one to the horrific plague it is now? That's the question that science journalist Vidya Krishnan explores in her new book, Phantom Plague: How Tuberculosis Shaped History, released this month. It traces the spread of TB from the U.S. and Europe in the 19th century to lower-income countries — including Krishnan's country of India — where it continues to flourish today. (Brink, 2/13)

Politico: What Covid Taught This Mid-Sized City About Ending Homelessness 
At the start of 2020, right before the Covid-19 pandemic, Rockford, Illinois was poised to eliminate homelessness. That milestone was the result of more than five years of dedicated work to rethink how to tackle what often seems like an intractable problem, one that doesn’t just affect big cities like New York or Los Angeles. Like other mid-sized U.S. cities, Rockford had been dismayed by the numbers of the unhoused in its community and had begun several interventions to house them, including a collaboration with local eviction courts to keep those with precarious housing stable and safe. And it had seen results: It had housed all its homeless veterans, then all the people who were chronically homeless. Next it turned to singles, youth, families. (Kenen, 2/15)

Also —

The Wall Street Journal: Why Your Antidepressants Seem To Stop Working—And What To Do
You’ve been on the same antidepressant for years. Then suddenly, the medication seems to stop working. The problem can hit people even when a drug has worked well for a decade or more. Symptoms such as persistent sadness and a loss of interest in favorite activities resurge. Identifying the right solution can be difficult and largely trial-and-error: Some patients may need a higher dose of the same medication, while others may need to try a new drug or a new combination of drugs, doctors say. (Petersen, 2/16)

The Washington Post: She Was Headed To A Locked Psych Ward. Then An ER Doctor Made A Startling Discovery. 
The 23-year-old patient arrived in the back of a police car and was in four point restraints — hands and feet strapped to a gurney — when emergency physician Elizabeth Mitchell saw her at a Los Angeles hospital early on March 17. Chloe R. Kral was being held on a 5150, shorthand in California for an emergency psychiatric order that allows people deemed dangerous to themselves or others to be involuntarily confined for 72 hours. (Boodman, 2/12)

CBS News: A Mother Wanted Her Daughter To Have Allergy-Friendly Cookies. She Was Rejected By 86 Investors Before Finding Success.
Denise Woodard knows rejection when it comes to getting investors for her business — it's happened at least 86 times. I took it pretty personal," Woodard told CBS News. But her mission was personal, too. Years ago, her baby, Vivienne, ate a snack and ended up in the emergency room. Woodard found out her daughter was allergic to corn. ... In 2016, Woodard launched Partake Foods, a line of allergy-friendly cookies, so that children with allergies wouldn't feel left out. But the company struggled until Woodard, the daughter of Black and Korean parents, connected with Black investors, including Rihanna and Jay-Z's venture capital fund. Today, 8,000 retailers nationwide carry her products. (Quijano, 2/14)

Health Affairs: Google And Twitter Don’t Want Us To Talk About Racism 
Earlier this week Health Affairs published an entire issue dedicated to the topic of racism and health. As Health Affairs is a peer-reviewed health policy journal, this issue aligns with our mission to serve as a high-level, nonpartisan forum to promote analysis and discussion on improving health and health care, and to address such issues as cost, quality, and access. ... [But] as I write this article, all our paid media ads on Google and Twitter that promote our racism and health content have been placed on hold. (Sweet, 2/11)

CBS News: After An Award-Winning Conductor Was Diagnosed With Bipolar Disorder, He Started His Own Orchestra To Erase Stigma Of Mental Illness 
There have been plenty of high and low notes in life for the musicians of the Me2/Orchestra, but as they perform together at Boston's storied Symphony Hall, there is simply harmony. Ronald Braunstein was once a music director at The Juilliard School and conducted around the world. "I was able to learn and memorize complete symphonies overnight," he told CBS News. "Music brings to my life everything." But then, the award-winning conductor was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which he says cost him work. "It was a constant up and down, up and down until I realized I just want my own orchestra, and I just want an orchestra with people like me," Braunstein said. (Chen, 2/15)

The New York Times: Trans Swimmer Revives an Old Debate in Elite Sports: What Defines a Woman?
At the Ivy League women’s swimming championships this week, many eyes in the crowd will be fixed on Lia Thomas, a star of the University of Pennsylvania team. In recent months, Thomas has made headlines not only for her speed — handily winning one Ohio race that went viral — but also for her gender identity. In 2019, while competing on the men’s team, Thomas began to medically transition, taking testosterone blockers and estrogen. Although her swim times slowed considerably, she’s still a top competitor in several women’s events, raising questions about the role of testosterone in athletic performance. (Ghorayshi, 2/16)

Bloomberg: Abortion Pill Mifepristone Is Safer Than Tylenol And Almost Impossible To Get
When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved mifepristone 21 years ago, it was known as RU-486 and hailed as the most important advance in reproductive health since the birth control pill. Time magazine had called it “The Pill That Changes Everything.” It was supposed to provide an attractive alternative to surgical procedures, which can involve sedation, a visit to a health-care facility, and obviously a great deal of medical expertise. At the time, the abortion battleground was, by and large, women’s health clinics. The pill, in theory, could allow women to bypass clinics, and throngs of protesters, almost entirely. (Koons, 2/17)

Bloomberg: New Covid Pills Are Needed As Much As Ever 
Even as omicron infection rates plummet, preparations must be made for whatever Covid-19 throws at us next. The best-case scenario is that we live with an endemic virus that causes only mild infections in most people who are vaccinated. But the possibility remains that new variants will arise. A good way to prepare for any eventuality is to develop new antivirals — ones that can be used more easily than the two existing Covid pills. A new wave of pills advancing into human studies this year could help build out the medicine cabinet. (Lisa Jarvis, 2/17)

The New York Times: What Would It Mean To End The Covid State Of Emergency? 
As the Omicron wave recedes from the United States, a new politics of pandemic resignation is setting in. Pundits on late-night television talk of being “done with Covid.” High-profile governors in big blue states — California, New York and New Jersey among them — are lifting indoor mask mandates. And according to a recent poll, 70 percent of Americans agree that “it’s time we accept that Covid is here to stay and we just need to get on with our lives.” (Spencer Bokat-Lindell, 2/17)

The Washington Post: Why The FDA Was Wrong To Delay Authorization Of Vaccines For Kids Under 5
The Food and Drug Administration made the wrong call when it announced last week that it will delay authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children under 5. The move is likely to leave young children without access to the shots for two months or more. The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should be removing roadblocks to vaccinating young children, not erecting them. (Govind Persad, Alyssa Burgart and Emily Largent, 2/17)

Miami Herald: DeSantis Supports District Cuts. Miami Lawmakers Must Stop Them
It’s payback season in Tallahassee. Petty politics were on full display Wednesday when the Florida House approved financial penalties against school districts that defied state orders and followed public-health advice on masks last year. In their quest for revenge against school officials who dared to protect their students, the Republican-led House signed off on a proposal to strip $200 million in the state budget from Miami-Dade County Public Schools and 11 other districts that had mask mandates despite a ban from Gov. Ron DeSantis. It’s juvenile and vindictive. Welcome to Florida. (2/17)

The CT Mirror: Physician Assisted Suicide - Second Thoughts
I believe in choice and in bodily integrity. The choices I have believed in included the right to choose the manner of one’s death. To be able to say that “enough is enough.” To be able to choose to end one’s suffering. Nothing seemed clearer. But then I had second thoughts. (Nancy Alisberg, 2/18)

The New York Times: Why Some Red States Aren’t Going For Broke On Abortion — Yet 
A Supreme Court decision that’s expected to come down this summer is likely to strike down Roe v. Wade, either in deed or in word, making it possible for states with anti-abortion leadership to ban the procedure altogether. It might seem curious, then, that legislators in some conservative-leaning states are spending these months before the likely downfall of Roe working to pass less extreme abortion measures than they did in 2019. Now seems like the time for anti-abortion legislators to go for broke. The fact that some of them are pursuing a different strategy offers clues about what a post-Roe America could look like, and how that landscape could be more complex — and less predetermined — than some Americans had assumed. (Mary Ziegler, 2/17)

Dallas Morning News: Dallas Should Extend Mental Health Leave To Firefighters
The Dallas City Council will soon consider a new policy that would allow firefighters and paramedics who experience a traumatic event while on duty to take paid time off to care for their mental health. We wholeheartedly support it. The city approved a similar provision for police in October, after a new state law went into effect requiring law enforcement agencies to create mental health leave policies for peace officers impacted by an on-duty traumatic incident. But that law didn’t require firefighters or other high-stress jobs to be included. (2/18)

Newsweek: It's Time For Tech Creators To Take On The Hospital Crisis 
Stories from across the country show the dire situation the nation's hospital emergency departments are facing. "Emergency rooms are at their breaking point with patients waiting for days," read a Fortune headline. "ERs are overwhelmed as omicron continues to flood them with patients," NPR explained. Some patients are being boarded in emergency department hallways, and some ERs have turned people away. Unvaccinated COVID-19 patients are pushing "hospital systems past the brink," Bloomberg reported. (Tashfeen Suleman, 2/17)

The CT Mirror: We Can End Period Poverty
Unlike other normal bodily functions, the menstrual cycle is stigmatized and often a financial burden for many throughout Connecticut. No one should have to choose between food, a roof over their head, their education, and access to menstrual products; and yet, every day in Connecticut, menstruators are forced to make exactly that choice. Periods do not stop during pandemics and neither have the barriers for many menstruating individuals in our state to menstrual products. (Kate Farrar and Joy Ren, 2/18

Stat: Many Nonprofit Hospitals Aren't Earning Their Tax Exemptions 
Most U.S. hospitals are nonprofit organizations that receive sizeable subsidies in the form of exemptions from state and federal income taxes, sales tax, and property tax. They can also issue tax-exempt bonds and receive tax-deductible charitable contributions. In return for these financial perks, nonprofit hospitals must provide community benefits such as charity care, unreimbursed care for people covered by Medicaid, improvements in community health, education for doctors and other health care workers, and research. We wanted answers to two important questions about these institutions: What do nonprofit hospitals have to do in exchange for these subsidies? Do they provide enough community benefit to earn these exemptions? (Ge Bai and David A. Hyman, 2/17)

Stat: Three Urgent Priorities For The NSC To Strengthen Global Health Security
In a planned transition, Beth Cameron, the Biden administration’s top official for global health security and biodefense, leaves her post at the White House National Security Council this month. After more than a decade spearheading biosecurity and pandemic preparedness, she will be replaced by U.S. global malaria coordinator Raj Panjabi — a primary care physician who has been a stalwart advocate for community-based health care programs as the former CEO of Last Mile Health. Panjabi’s appointment could signal a potential shift in U.S. health security policy. (Arush Lal, 2/18)

Stat: Public Health Officials Should Be Elected, Not Appointed 
In the United States, the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the widespread firing and resignation of public health officers. According to one analysis, more than 300 state and local health officials were fired, resigned, or retired between April 1, 2020 and Sept. 12, 2021. One reason for this unprecedented exodus of health officers was the unresolved tension between them wanting to use their legal authority to “follow the science” by imposing restrictions on businesses versus their public legitimacy and the permission granted them by governors or other elected officials for them to actually use that authority. In September, Florida’s top health official resigned, and the governor immediately replaced him with a physician who, similar to the governor, dismisses the benefit of business restrictions, vaccines, masks, and testing to control Covid-19. (Jay Varma, 2/18)