The Washington Post: Ketanji Brown Jackson Set To Become First Black Woman On Supreme Court
The Senate voted Thursday to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, felling one of the most significant remaining racial barriers in American government and sending the first Democratic nominee to the high court in 12 years. Jackson, a daughter of schoolteachers who has risen steadily through America’s elite legal ranks, will become the first Black woman to sit on the court and only the eighth who is not a White man. She will replace Associate Justice Stephen G. Breyer after the Supreme Court’s term ends in late June or early July. (DeBonis and Kim, 4/7)

The New York Times: Ketanji Brown Jackson, A Transformative Justice Whose Impact May Be Limited 
However collegial she may be, whatever her reputation as a “consensus builder” and whether her voting record will be slightly to the right or the left of Justice Breyer’s, the court’s lopsided conservative majority will remain in charge. Judge Jackson will most likely find herself, as Justice Breyer has, in dissent in the court’s major cases on highly charged social questions. Indeed, in an institution that prizes seniority, the court’s three-member liberal wing is apt to lose power. (Liptak, 4/7)

Axios: KBJ Joins Supreme Court At Fever Pitch Of Polarizing Cases
Jackson will take her seat on the court just as it's diving headfirst into the most controversial issues in American politics — and at a moment when its conservative majority is poised to lock in victories that the right has been chasing for years, sometimes decades. Driving the news: Jackson will start hearing cases when the court's next term begins in October. And even with only about a dozen cases on the docket so far, that term is already shaping up to be a dramatic one. (Baker, 4/8)

AP: Pelosi Positive For COVID-19, Was At White House With Biden 
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has tested positive for COVID-19, a day after appearing unmasked at a White House event with President Joe Biden. Pelosi, D-Calif., received a positive test result for COVID-19 and is currently asymptomatic, her spokesman Drew Hammill said Thursday in a tweet. He said she had tested negative earlier in the week. (Mascaro and Miller, 4/7)

The New York Times: Nancy Pelosi And Other Lawmakers Test Positive For The Coronavirus
Lawmakers and their staffs on Capitol Hill were informed on March 30 that they were now allowed to receive a second booster dose if they met criteria, after federal health officials cleared them for many people the day before. Ms. Pelosi received her second booster last month, according to her office, and it takes about a week for the immune system to ramp up. It is difficult to know exactly how someone was exposed to and infected with the virus. (Cochrane, 4/8)

Politico: Covid Creeps Ever Closer To Biden 
Standing before a packed White House crowd this week, President Joe Biden cheerfully ticked off a series of his administration’s health care accomplishments. Among them, he said: Finally getting the coronavirus “under control.” Yet as Biden waded through the celebratory East Room, embracing and shaking hands with dozens of maskless lawmakers and advocates, the virus was quietly running rampant through the building. (Cancryn, 4/7)

The Hill: White House Dismisses COVID-19 Risk For Biden
The White House on Thursday dismissed any concerns that President Biden is at risk of contracting COVID-19 after he spent time the day before with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who tested positive early Thursday. ... White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Thursday the president was not considered a close contact of Pelosi’s as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) because they spent less than 15 minutes in close proximity to each other. (Gangitano, 4/7)

Also —

AP: Sen. Susan Collins Of Maine Tests Positive For COVID-19 
Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday just hours after voting to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court, her office said. Collins’ office said the veteran senator, in office since 1997, tested positive late in the afternoon, a couple of hours after the historic vote. She wore a mask while on the Senate floor, her office said. (4/7)

The Hill: Sen. Warnock, Democratic Congressman Test Positive For COVID-19
Senator Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) announced Thursday that they had tested positive for COVID-19 in breakthrough cases. Warnock said in a tweet that he tested positive for COVID-19 that afternoon after a “routine test.” (Folmar, 4/7)

AP: DC Mayor Tests Positive For COVID-19, Reports Mild Symptoms 
Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Thursday that she tested positive for COVID-19 and would “work at home while following isolation protocols.” ... Bowser, 49, was elected Mayor in 2014 and will be running for a third term later this year. Her older sister Mercia died of COVID-19 complications in February 2021 at the age of 64. (Khalil, 4/7)

Politico: Covid In DC: What To Know About The Risks Of Omicron And BA.2 
The speaker of the House is in quarantine. Cabinet secretaries are working from home. The Gridiron dinner was a superspreader event, and the West Wing is a hot spot. The surge of Covid-19 infections in Washington this week has many wondering: Is it safe enough to hold indoor, public events again? Are we returning to normal or throwing caution to the wind after more than two years of isolation? (Gardner, 4/8)

And more on the rabid fox captured near the Capitol building —

The Washington Post: Fox Kits From U.S. Capitol Grounds Euthanized; Their Mother Had Rabies 
Three fox kits found in a den on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol have been euthanized after their mother tested positive for rabies. Officials with the D.C. Department of Health said in a statement Thursday that the kits — as fox babies are called — were “recovered from the den site of the female fox” that was captured Tuesday. She was euthanized and tested positive for rabies. (Hedgpeth, 4/7)

CNN: US Likely To See A Surge Of Covid-19 In The Fall, Fauci Says 
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on Wednesday that he thinks there will be an uptick in cases of Covid-19 over the next few weeks and that it is likely that there could be a surge in the fall. "I think we should expect, David, that over the next couple of weeks, we are going to see an uptick in cases -- and hopefully there is enough background immunity so that we don't wind up with a lot of hospitalizations," Fauci said when asked by Bloomberg TV's David Westin about the prospect of another wave of Covid-19 from BA.2 or another variant, given the level of immunity believed to exist in the US today. (Thomas, 4/7)

In other news about the spread of covid —

The Hill: The Five States With The Highest Number Of COVID-19 Cases
While case rates remain low across the country, a handful of states still have elevated risk levels. Here are the five states with the highest levels of new cases per 100,000. (Choi, 4/7)

Salt Lake Tribune: Utah Reports Nearly 700 New COVID-19 Cases; Sewage Shows Increased Virus Levels At 6 Sites
Utah has recorded nearly 700 new COVID-19 cases in the past week and 16 more deaths, including two Utah County men under age 45, the state Department of Health reported Thursday. State officials expected that case counts would decline as they shuttered testing locations, and data shows that the 7-day testing average has dropped by 4,869 on March 31 to 3,492 on Wednesday. Because of that presumption and those closures, officials said they would switch their focus to monitoring sewage, hospitalizations and emergency room visits to judge coronavirus’s spread. (Harkins, 4/7)

AP: Arizona Reducing Dashboard Data On COVID-19 Hospitalizations 
Arizona is scaling back updates of COVID-19 hospitalization data displayed on the state’s coronavirus dashboard in the wake of the diminishing of the outbreak and Gov. Doug Ducey’s recent end of the state of emergency that he declared over two years ago. Department of Heath Services Director Don Herrington said Thursday in a blog post that a surveillance order requiring hospitals to report specific COVID-19 data is no longer in effect. (4/7)

AP: Sarah Jessica Parker Sidelined As Broadway Fights Virus 
The second shoe has dropped at “Plaza Suite” on Broadway. First Matthew Broderick tested positive for COVID-19 and a few days later his wife and co-star, Sarah Jessica Parker, has done so herself. Parker tested positive Thursday and the show has been canceled. What happens with future performances “will be announced as soon as possible,” according to producers. (Kennedy, 4/7)

Also —

Bloomberg: Long Covid Treatment Bill Pushed By Tammy Duckworth, Ayanna Pressley
A bill to increase funding for Long Covid treatment and clinics marks the latest push from lawmakers to confront chronic health problems related to the coronavirus that affect millions of Americans. The Treat Long Covid Act is a joint effort from Senator Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat, and Representative Ayanna Pressley, a Massachusetts Democrat. Both have been involved in efforts to bolster federal support for Long Covid research, treatment and education. (Muller, 4/7)

CIDRAP: Home Use Of Pulse Oximeters For COVID-19 Not Linked To Better Outcomes
Asking COVID-19 patients to use a pulse oximeter at home to measure oxygen levels was no better than asking if they experienced shortness of breath in determining outcomes, according to new research in the New England Journal of Medicine. (4/7)

CIDRAP: Fluvoxamine May Reduce The Odds Of COVID-19 Patient Hospitalization
A new systematic review and meta-analysis of three randomized clinical trials with 2,196 patients suggests that early use of the antidepressant fluvoxamine reduces the risk of all-cause hospitalization in symptomatic adult outpatients. Fluvoxamine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor used to treat conditions such as obsessive compulsive disorder, also activates the sigma-1 receptor, which quells inflammation, the researchers noted. (4/7)

USA Today: COVID Testing Chain Center For COVID Control Hit With Oregon Lawsuit
The nationwide coronavirus testing chain under scrutiny from the FBI and several states was hit with a scathing lawsuit Thursday – one that provides new insight into alleged deceptive trade practices and garish spending by company executives. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum sued Illinois-based Center for Covid Control and its primary lab, Doctors Clinical Lab, for "deceptively marketing testing services" and violating the state's Unlawful Trade Practices Act. The lawsuit alleges Illinois residents Aleya Siyaj and Akbar Ali Syed, the married couple who founded Center for COVID Control, "funnelled millions of dollars received from the federal government and insurance companies for testing to themselves," according to the Oregon attorney general's office. (Hauck, 4/7)

The Wall Street Journal: Appeals Court Reinstates Biden’s Vaccine Mandate For Federal Workers 
A federal appeals court on Thursday reinstated the Biden administration’s Covid-19 vaccine requirement for federal employees, overturning a nationwide injunction by a Texas federal judge in January. In a 2-1 ruling, the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans held that it wasn’t the judiciary’s role to adjudicate the dispute but said unvaccinated workers seeking to avoid discipline first had to pursue their grievances through administrative channels. (Gershman, 4/7)

The Hill: Federal Appeals Court Upholds Biden Vaccine Mandate For Federal Workers 
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals’s 2-1 ruling reversed an earlier ruling by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown, a Trump appointee in Texas, who in January blocked the mandate for federal workers. The 5th Circuit Court further ordered that the district court dismiss the case. Judge Carl Stewart, writing for the majority opinion, said plaintiffs in the case could have challenged the vaccine mandate through the federal government’s internal process for federal workers. (Vakil and Dress, 4/7)

In other news from the Biden administration —

Modern Healthcare: HHS Seeks Input On Plan To Address Environmental Health Disparities
The Health and Human Services Department is seeking comments on whether its newest environmental health proposals adequately addresses the risks climate change poses to the health of underserved communities. In a notice published Thursday, HHS outlines six strategies to tackle environmental health and climate-related hazards among low-income and historically marginalized communities. Those include expanding linguistic capabilities and cultural competence within the healthcare delivery system, developing community partnerships to coordinate social services organizations, funding research and measuring impact. (Hartnett, 4/7)

Stat: Cities, States Lobby For New ARPA-H Headquarters
The Biden administration’s new high-stakes research office has a name, an official place within government, and a billion dollars in funding. But ARPA-H still lacks a home. Now, with a bonanza of federal cash at stake — and lawmakers making clear they want the new agency’s headquarters located far from the Beltway — cities and states across the country find themselves in a bidding war. (Facher, 4/8)

On the Affordable Care Act —

Axios: Affordable Care Act Subsidy Cliff Hits Southern States Hardest
A disproportionate share of young adults, low-income, Black Americans and residents of Southern states will lose health coverage if Congress doesn't extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, according to a new analysis by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The analysis estimates that 3.1 million Americans would become uninsured when the subsidies expire beginning next year, and millions more would face much higher premiums than they currently pay. But those effects wouldn't be felt evenly across the country. (Owens, 4/8)

KHN: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Finally, A Fix For The ‘Family Glitch’ 
The Biden administration this week moved to fix the so-called family glitch in the Affordable Care Act, which has prevented dependents from getting federal subsidies to buy health insurance even if the insurance offered by the employer is unaffordable. It remains unclear, however, whether this is something that can be done by regulation or instead requires congressional action. (4/7)

NBC News: Judge Strikes Down Military's Limits On Service Members With HIV
In a landmark ruling, a federal court has ordered the Defense Department to end a long-standing Pentagon policy forbidding enlisted military service members from deploying in active duty outside the continental U.S. and being commissioned as officers if they have HIV. Supporters hailed it as overdue legal affirmation that people receiving effective antiretroviral treatment for HIV are essentially healthy and pose no risk to others. (4/7)

Military.com: Judge Overturns Military Ban On HIV-Positive Troops Getting Commissioned As Officers 
U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled Wednesday that the Department of Defense must reconsider Nicholas Harrison's application to become a JAG officer for the D.C. National Guard without taking into account his HIV-positive status. The ruling also applies to "any other asymptomatic HIV-positive service member with an undetectable viral load." (Toropin, 4/7)

In other updates on the fight against HIV and AIDS —

WTOP: Researcher Excited After HIV Cases Go Into Remission Following Stem Cell Use 
HIV-positive is a chronic condition that can be controlled with daily doses of medicines but there’s no known cure. However, there have now been three cases of HIV being put into remission that a D.C.-area researcher finds “exciting.” The research was conducted by the International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trial Network that is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Each case, the most recent announced on Feb. 15, involved use of stem cells modified to prevent the ability of HIV to replicate and continue to infect the body. (King, 4/6)

WWL TV: New Orleans DJ, Crescent Care Team Up To Get More People Tested For HIV 
When the world turned it’s focus to stopping the spread of COVID-19, the HIV epidemic didn’t stop.The Center for Disease Control says that before the pandemic began, Louisiana had one of the highest rates of HIV in the country. And with the immediate need for more COVID testing, HIV testing took a back seat. ... DJ RQAway wants to change that. He’s teaming up with Crescent Care to provide free HIV testing at his show “Lagniappe” at Tipitina’s this Saturday. "All of my events have been about access, creating access to quality events for young black people in New Orleans. Every single one,” DJ RQAway, whose given name is Jevon Thompson, said. “This particular one we have the added access of being able to check out your sexual health." (Winstrom, 4/7)

Variety: Magic Johnson Talks Lakers Career, HIV Activism And Apple Docuseries
It’s not hyperbole to say that Johnson’s HIV diagnosis changed the world. When he got the news from his doctors in October 1991, he considered keeping it a secret. But the activist Elizabeth Glaser — who had contracted HIV from a blood transfusion and was a presence in Hollywood because of her marriage to actor Paul Michael Glaser — urged him to come forward. “I think Elizabeth Glaser was right when she asked me to become the face of HIV and AIDS,” Johnson says. “I didn’t know what she was talking about at that time, but I’m glad that she pointed me in the right direction and made me get involved.” In hindsight, Johnson wishes he hadn’t retired from the NBA in 1991 after announcing his diagnosis and being told by doctors that his new meds would hinder his athleticism. But he maintains that he made the right decision at the time, given the information available to him. (Hailu and Setoodeh, 4/8)

The Independent: Ukraine Has One Of The Highest HIV Rates In Europe. War Could Set Back The Fight Against The Virus By 20 Years 
Under shelling and missiles, medics risk their lives to treat the 250,000 people in Ukraine with HIV amid fears that the war could set their efforts back decades. (Trew, 4/6)

Modern Healthcare: Medicare Finalizes Policy Restricting Aduhelm Coverage To Clinical Trial Patients
Medicare will only cover Biogen's Alzheimer's therapy Aduhelm during clinical trials, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Thursday, finalizing a proposal from January. The announcement paves the way for CMS to reduce Medicare Part B premiums. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said last month that CMS was waiting on a final coverage decision for Aduhelm to fully assess its impact on Part B premiums for 2022, which increased 15% from last year, in part because of projected spending on the drug. (Goldman and Deveraux, 4/7)

The Washington Post: Medicare Limits Payments For New Alzheimer’s Drug To Clinical Trials
The decision reflects a wide spectrum of opinion on whether Aduhelm is effective enough to warrant greater distribution. A monoclonal antibody taken as a monthly infusion, the drug is the first new treatment for Alzheimer’s approved by the FDA since 2003. Its cost — $28,200 per patient, per year — also has raised concerns. (Bernstein and Roubein, 4/7)

Axios: Medicare's Limits On Aduhelm Coverage Sparks Questions About Future Drugs
Aduhelm received "conditional" approval from the FDA in June with the requirement that further trials show the drug slows cognitive decline and is safe. As the first Alzheimer's drug to win approval in about 20 years, it spurred excitement and an intense advocacy push from Alzheimer's patient groups. But it has been widely panned within the medical community over unproven clinical benefits, serious side effects and $28,000 annual price tag. That put it at the center of an intense lobbying battle in recent months, as well as congressional debates over the FDA's "accelerated approval" process. (Reed, 4/8)

Bloomberg: Medicare Keeps Limits on Coverage of Biogen Alzheimer’s Drug
It’s a blow to Biogen, which has been campaigning for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to reverse its stance since the initial coverage proposal was announced in January. Analysts at RBC Capital Markets said Thursday that the news, while in line with expectations, “likely spells the end for Aduhelm.” At the same time, it “leaves a clear door open” for other drugs in development. That includes potential new medicines from Eli Lilly & Co. and Roche Holding AG. The decision strikes a middle ground, keeping a hard line on Aduhelm while creating a path to payment for newer treatments with solid evidence. (Tozzi and Langreth, 4/7)

The Boston Globe: Medicare Decision On Polarizing Alzheimer’s Drug Divides Doctors
CMS rarely restricts coverage of prescription drugs, and its decision to only pay for Aduhelm in the context of additional clinical trials, where its risk-benefit profile can be further studied, drew polarizing reactions from the medical community. Some doctors think the decision is a much needed correction for the FDA’s misplaced exuberance for Aduhelm. “I absolutely agree with the agency’s decision to restrict Aduhelm,” said Dr. Aaron Kesselheim, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who resigned from an FDA advisory committee in protest of the agency’s decision to approve the drug. ... But other doctors are disturbed by the CMS decision. They say the agency is overstepping its bounds and discriminating against people with Alzheimer’s disease. (Cross, 4/7)

The New York Times: Medicare Officially Limits Coverage Of Aduhelm To Patients In Clinical Trials 
Ever since Medicare proposed to sharply limit coverage of the controversial Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm, the agency has been deluged with impassioned pleas. Groups representing patients insisted the federal insurance program pay for the drug. Many Alzheimer’s experts and doctors cautioned against broadly covering a treatment that has uncertain benefit and serious safety risks. (Belluck, 4/7)

Stat: Advocacy Group's Advisory Board Members Defect Over Alzheimer's Drug
The furious debate over Biogen’s Alzheimer’s treatment has now sparked controversy at the Alliance for Aging Research, an advocacy group that has seen half of its scientific advisory board members resign after learning the organization had lobbied against a Medicare proposal to restrict coverage of the medication. The resignations by nine of 17 board members followed a rally the organization held last month in front of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services offices to protest a preliminary decision concerning the Alzheimer’s treatment. (Silverman, 4/7)

Modern Healthcare: CMS To End Some Nursing Home COVID-19 Emergency Waivers
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will phase out pandemic-related temporary waivers to nursing home regulations, the agency announced Thursday. The changes are being made because COVID-19 vaccination rates for residents and employees are increasing and nursing homes are better able to handle outbreaks, the agency said in a news release. "We've learned a lot from the pandemic over the last two years and are committed to using that knowledge to re-envision the next chapter of healthcare quality and patient safety and build a stronger healthcare system," CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said in the news release. (Christ, 4/7)

And more about nursing homes and nursing shortages —

Bloomberg: U.S. Hospitals Struggle To Keep Nurses Even With Billions In Aid
States from Arizona to Maine are deploying billions of dollars in federal aid to hospitals in a desperate attempt to retain and recruit overworked health-care professionals facing the threat of yet another spike in Covid-19 cases. Pennsylvania hospitals are getting $210 million for bonuses or wage increases for front-line health-care workers. Texas approved $378 million to address “critical staffing needs” at nursing homes and home health agencies. Tennessee health-care facilities are receiving $120 million. (Braun and Coleman-Lochner, 4/7)

AP: Beshear Signs Bill Aimed At Addressing Nursing Shortage 
Gov. Andy Beshear on Thursday signed a bill aimed at addressing Kentucky’s nursing shortage by boosting enrollment in nursing schools and luring out-of-state nurses into the state’s workforce. The measure comes a few months after the governor late last year declared the state’s nursing shortage to be an emergency. Kentucky has faced a shortage of nurses for years but the problem worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. (4/7)

Chicago Tribune: Illinois Lawmakers Approve Sweeping Changes To Nursing Home Funding 
Illinois lawmakers Thursday unanimously approved a landmark funding increase for nursing homes that one sponsor called the most important improvement ever made to long-term care facilities in the state. Responding to long-standing problems that were made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, the bill would increase payments to nursing homes and tie much of the increase to staffing levels and quality of care. “This is the biggest reform we’ve done ever,” said sponsoring Sen. Ann Gillespie, a Democrat from Arlington Heights. “This is going to drive accountability.” (McCoppin, 4/7)

KHN: New Laws Let Visitors See Loved Ones In Health Care Facilities, Even In An Outbreak
Jean White’s mother has dementia and moved into a memory care facility near Tampa, Florida, just as coronavirus lockdowns began in spring 2020. For months, the family wasn’t allowed to go inside to visit. They tried video chats and visits from outside her bedroom window, but White said that just upset her mom, who is 87. White’s mother couldn’t grasp why she could hear familiar voices but not be with her loved ones in person. (Colombini, 4/8)

In other health care industry news —

AP: Plan To Move Maine's Only Medical School Gets Federal Boost
The federal government is providing Maine’s only medical school with $5 million to help it move. University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine is located in Biddeford, but the university wants to move the school to Portland. The university, which is the largest private school in Maine, said the move would allow it to admit more medical students and consolidate its health professions programs on one campus. (4/7)

Georgia Health News: Wellstar Closing ER, Hospital Beds At Struggling East Point Site, Still Seeks Partner 
Wellstar Health System in recent years has been exploring options – including a sale or partnership — for its Atlanta Medical Center and an affiliate hospital in East Point. A different option unfolded Wednesday: Wellstar announced that it’s converting the 200-bed East Point hospital into a primary care, outpatient and rehabilitation center. The ER and hospital beds will close May 6. The AMC South facility now runs the closest emergency department to Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport. (Miller, 4/7)

The Boston Globe: BC High Lands $49 Million Donation To Build Wellness Center
Patrick Cadigan’s career took off after he left Massachusetts for California, just a few years out of college, to oversee sales and marketing at an electronics company known as EECO. He became its chief executive, and later amassed a fortune as a real estate investor in Orange County. But Cadigan never forgot his roots in the Boston area. The latest example: Cadigan’s family foundation has agreed to give $49 million to Boston College High School on Morrissey Boulevard in Dorchester to build a 50,000-square-foot fitness center to be dubbed the Cadigan Wellness Complex. Cadigan died in 2020 at the age of 85, but he ensured that BC High, where he graduated in 1952, was among the schools eligible for donations from his foundation. He has also been a major donor to Boston College, where he received his bachelor’s degree. (Chesto, 4/7)

AP: Motion To Disqualify Judge Filed In Doctor's Murder Trial
The weekslong trial of an Ohio doctor charged in multiple hospital deaths hit a bump in the road this week after a motion was filed seeking to disqualify the judge overseeing the case. Dr. William Husel is accused of ordering excessive painkillers for 14 patients in the Columbus-area Mount Carmel Health System. He was indicted in cases involving at least 500 micrograms of the powerful painkiller fentanyl. (Welsh-Huggins, 4/7)

In obituaries —

Modern Healthcare: Longtime Centene CEO Michael Neidorff Dies
Longtime Centene Corp. Chairman and CEO Michael Neidorff died on Thursday after suffering a lengthy illness, the company confirmed. Neidorff, 79, served as the head of the insurer for 26 years, growing the company from a $40 million, single health plan into the $125 billion healthcare company that manages care for 25 million people today. Neidorff planned to retire at the end of this year, but took a medical leave of absence six weeks ago. (Tepper, 4/7)

NPR: U.S. Life Expectancy Falls In 2021, Following 2020's Big Drop
Despite the availability of life-saving COVID-19 vaccines, so many people died in the second year of the pandemic in the U.S. that the nation's life expectancy dropped for a second year in a row last year, according to a new analysis. The analysis of provisional government statistics found U.S. life expectancy fell by just under a half a year in 2021, adding to a dramatic plummet in life expectancy that occurred in 2020. Public health experts had hoped the vaccines would prevent another drop the following year. "The finding that instead we had a horrible loss of life in 2021 that actually drove the life expectancy even lower than it was in 2020 is very disturbing," says Dr. Steven Woolf, a professor of population health and health equity at Virginia Commonwealth University, who help conduct the analysis. "It speaks to an extensive loss of life during 2021." (Stein, 4/7)

CNN: US Life Expectancy Continues Historic Decline With Another Drop In 2021, Study Finds 
Changes to life expectancy amid the Covid-19 pandemic widened an existing gap between the US and other high-income countries, the new report shows. Among a set of 19 peer countries, life expectancy dropped only a third as much as in the US in 2020 (down 0.6 years, on average) and rebounded in 2021, with an average increase of about 0.3 years. Life expectancy in the US fell from 78.9 years in 2019 to 76.6 years in 2021 – now more than five years less than the average among peer nations. (McPhillips, 4/7)

In mental health news —

American Homefront Project: Veterans Are At Higher Risk Of Eating Disorders. The Pressure Of Military Life May Be One Cause
Marine veteran Chandler Rand has struggled with various eating disorders since she was a child. She said she’s healthy now, but she describes her recovery as an ongoing process. She still has to fight off negative thoughts about her body image and weight. “It's basically like walking a tightrope is what it means for me day to day,” Rand said. Back in 2016, Rand was a Marine. She was successfully treated for anorexia as a teenager, but after boot camp, she began to binge eat and became bulimic. “I don't think I saw that as part of my eating disorder at the time,” Rand said. “I think I just saw it as part of being a good Marine.” (D'Iorio, 4/8)

Fox News: TikTok Acts On Children’s Brains Like A ‘Candy Store’ Shortening Their Attention Span: Report
The way children are consuming social media, especially on TikTok, is likely negatively affecting their attention spans, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report. "It is hard to look at increasing trends in media consumption of all types, media multitasking and rates of ADHD [attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder] in young people and not conclude that there is a decrease in their attention span," said Dr. Carl Marci, a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital. Although the link between ADHD and screen time is debatable, new research suggests the type of short and fast-paced videos that children consume today are partly to blame for why they struggle to participate in longer-term activities. (Sudhakar, 4/7)

Cincinnati Enquirer: Student Survey COVID-19 Mental Health Issues, Drug Use Drops
Prevention First's Student Survey of 26,260 seventh- through 12th-grade students in Hamilton, Butler, Warren and Clermont counties shows that more than half of them (53.3%) report having high levels of stress. One in 10 said they have suicide ideation. And 60% struggle to pull themselves out of a bad mood. In addition: 38.8% responded that they felt nervous or anxious all or most of the time. Just over 24% responded feeling depressed, sad or hopeless most of the time and 29.2% said they desired to be alone all the time. There's also an indication that kids surveyed need more adults they trust, outside of their parents, to help them with their moods. (Demio, 4/7)

Bloomberg: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Warns Of The Impact Of All Those Late-Night Emails
Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella warned that employee well-being could suffer from an ever-expanding workday that often now creeps well into the night. Nadella, whose company has studied how remote work impacts collaboration in an effort to improve its Teams software, cited Microsoft research showing that about a third of white-collar workers have a “third peak” of productivity late in the evening, based on keyboard activity. Productivity typically spikes before and after lunch, but this third peak illustrates how remote work has broken down already-blurred boundaries between our job and our home lives. Nadella, speaking Thursday at the Wharton Future of Work Conference, said managers need to set clear norms and expectations for workers so that they’re not pressured to answer emails late at night. (Boyle, 4/7)

San Francisco Chronicle: Could California Mandate A Four-Day Workweek? A State Bill Is Pushing For The Change
As the pandemic and telework upend where millions of Californians do their jobs, state lawmakers are mulling whether to change when we work as well. A bill moving through the state Legislature, AB2932, would change the definition of a workweek from the current 40 hours to 32 hours for companies with more than 500 employees, and require overtime pay for making employees work longer than four full days a week. (DiFeliciantonio, 4/7)

In other public health news —

The Washington Post: Some Beef ‘Raised Without Antibiotics’ Tests Positive For Antibiotics In Study
A new study in Science magazine identified antibiotics in some of the beef cattle in a USDA-approved no-antibiotics labeling program recognized as a gold standard for restaurants and grocery stores around the country. The study tested some 699 cows at one slaughterhouse that processes “raised without antibiotics” cattle. Most cattle in the study tested negative for antibiotics. However, 10 percent of cattle came from lots where one of the cows sampled tested positive for antibiotics, the researchers found. Additionally, the study found an additional 5 percent of cattle came from lots with multiple positive antibiotic tests. (Reiley, 4/7)

USA Today: 'Dirty Dozen' List Shows Fruits, Vegetables Highest Pesticide Levels
What are the filthiest fruits and vegetables at the grocery store? Strawberries, spinach and kale, according to a new report. Thursday, nonprofit advocacy organization Environmental Working Group released its annual "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean Fifteen" lists using data from the Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration. The Washington, D.C., group found that more than 90% of strawberry, apple, cherry, spinach, nectarine and grape samples tested positive for residues of two or more pesticides. Kale, collard and mustard greens, hot peppers and bell peppers had the most pesticides. A single sample of kale, collard and mustard greens had up to 21 different pesticides. (Martin, 4/7)

Press Association: Waist To Height Ratio Can Guide You To Better Health, NHS Watchdog Says
People should ensure their waist measurement is less than half their height to keep health problems at bay, an NHS watchdog has said. For the first time, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) says adults with a body mass index (BMI) under 35 should measure their own waist-to-height ratio as part of wider plans to tackle obesity. A BMI of 18 to 25 is considered a healthy weight, 25 to 30 is overweight, and over 30 is obese. Nice said that by using a waist-to-height ratio, together with BMI, people can work out whether they are carrying excess fat around their middle, which is known to push up the risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. (Kirby, 4/8)

On the opioid crisis —

USA Today: 'Magic Mushrooms' Linked To Decreased Risk Of Opioid Addiction: Study
A "shroom craze" may get even wilder after a new study that suggests a psychedelic drug found in some mushrooms may have protective benefits against addiction. Harvard University researchers found opioid use disorders were 30% less likely among people who used psilocybin compared with those who never had it, according to the study published Thursday in Scientific Reports. Psilocybin is a naturally occurring compound in certain types of mushrooms that are consumed for their hallucinogenic effects, according to the U.S. Drug enforcement Administration. (Rodriguez, 4/7)

Billings Gazette: Montana Troopers Have Already Intercepted More Fentanyl This Year Than In 2021
The Montana Highway Patrol has already intercepted more fentanyl this year than last year, according to a Thursday press release from the state Department of Justice. Through mid-March, troopers had seized 12,079 fentanyl pills, which is three times the 2021 total of 3,800 tablets, according to the release. Arrests for fentanyl were already up from 2020, from just one that year to 17 in 2021. MHP also said that the amount of methamphetamine already seized this year — 33.3 pounds — puts the state on the path to surpass last year's amount of 49.1 pounds. (4/7)

North Carolina Health News: Tension Around Best Ways To Spend Opioid Settlement Money 
The first payments from a $26 billion, multi-state opioid lawsuit settlement are set to arrive in the states later this spring, and in North Carolina, there are already disagreements over which groups are most qualified to receive the money. Over the course of 18 years, North Carolina will receive $750 million of the opioid settlement funds from the agreement reached with drug companies for their alleged roles in fueling the opioid epidemic. Most of the money will be sent to North Carolina’s county governments to help people and communities impacted by the overdose crisis. (Knopf, 4/7)

The Washington Post: Michigan Gov. Whitmer Sues To Protect Abortion 
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) filed a lawsuit Thursday seeking to keep abortion legal in her state if the Supreme Court rolls back its landmark Roe vs. Wade ruling. A 1931 Michigan law banning abortion has been superseded for nearly 50 years by the Roe decision. But if the high court overturns the nationwide right to abortion or leaves it to states to decide, the legislation could take effect. Whitmer is attempting to prevent that, asking that the state Supreme Court declare abortion protected under Michigan’s Constitution. (Shammas, 4/7)

Detroit Free Press: Nessel Cites Own Abortion, Says She Won't Defend Michigan In Lawsuit
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel will not defend the state in a lawsuit filed Thursday by Planned Parenthood of Michigan, saying she agrees with the suit's assertion that a 1931 state law that bans most abortions in the state is unconstitutional. The move is already drawing criticism, with Republican legislative leaders exploring ways to intervene in the lawsuit on behalf of the state. Nessel told reporters Thursday about her own, personal experience with abortion and why she thinks it's inappropriate to use tax dollars to take any action that could restrict abortion access. (Boucher, 4/7)

In other abortion news from Missouri, Nebraska, and elsewhere —

CBS News: House Republicans Want To Axe Citi Contracts Over Bank's Abortion Benefits
Dozens of Republican lawmakers are urging the U.S. to cancel government contracts with Citigroup after the banking giant offered to pay the travel costs for employees seeking abortions. Citi, the nation's fourth-largest bank, provides credit cards to members of the House of Representatives to pay for flights, office supplies and other goods. Rep. Mike Johnson and 44 other lawmakers are urging House Chief Administrative Officer Catherine Szpindor to cancel the contract, arguing the legislative branch has long adhered to a policy of not funding abortions with taxpayer money. (Gibson, 4/7)

St. Louis Public Radio: Planned Parenthood Urges St. Louisans To Protect Abortion 
Access to abortion in Missouri is at risk as Republican legislators seek tougher restrictions, Planned Parenthood's national leader warned Thursday. Planned Parenthood Federation of America President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson spoke Thursday at the annual luncheon for its St. Louis affiliate. Abortion rights advocates are fighting efforts in states across the country to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, Johnson said. “We know that if Roe falls, the ability to access abortion will be determined by the states,” Johnson said. “Fighting state by state is what we will do. But it means that we no longer fully have the rights to control our bodies." (Davis, 4/7)

AP: Abortion Rights Backers Block 'Trigger' Law In Nebraska 
Abortion rights proponents scored a surprising victory in Nebraska by derailing a bill that would have automatically outlawed abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court ever overturns its 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized the procedure throughout the country. The vote on Wednesday frustrated abortion rights opponents, who usually win fights over the issue in the conservative Legislature. More than a dozen other conservative states have passed similar measures already, but abortion rights backers in Nebraska managed to block it using a filibuster in the single-chamber Legislature. (Schulte, 4/7)

The 19th: Effects Of Supreme Court Dobbs Decision Likely Up To States And Attorneys General
Lawmakers and advocates are preparing for a Supreme Court ruling this summer that could weaken Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that enshrined federal abortion protections. But across the political spectrum, many are anticipating a decision that leaves plenty of room for legal interpretation and litigation, meaning it could take months to fully understand the implications for abortion access. “There’s going to be so much we don’t know,” said Elizabeth Nash, who tracks state policy at the Guttmacher Institute, a widely cited research organization that supports abortion rights. “I don’t think the court is going to make this easy.” (Luthra, 4/7)

In other reproductive health news —

AP: In Many States With Tough Abortion Laws, Social Programs Are Weak: AP Analysis
States with some of the nation’s strictest abortion laws are also some of the hardest places to have and raise a healthy child, especially for the poor, according to an analysis of federal data by The Associated Press. The findings raise questions about the strength of the social safety net as those states are poised to further restrict or even ban abortion access following an expected U.S. Supreme Court decision later this year. The burden is likely to fall heaviest on those with low incomes, who also are the least able to seek an abortion in another state where the procedure remains widely available. (Whitehurst, Fassett and Lo, 4/7)

Bloomberg: New York UBI Program Focuses On New Moms, Pregnant Women
As a single mother of a young boy and a baby, Kassandra Hernandez has spent a lot of brainpower thinking about how to stretch every last dollar. Juggling a part-time job in medical billing with child care made even more spotty by Covid quarantines meant income trickled in unpredictably. Her grocery trips are subsidized by the government, but food wasn’t the only thing her family needed. Sometimes, she said, a carton of yogurt purchased with food benefits would rot in the fridge while she scrambled to buy other essential baby items and pay her rent. (Holder, 4/7)

KBIA: Missouri Lawmakers Considering New Prison Nursery
In late June 1976, Barbara Baker gave birth to her son. “We were able to stay together five days, you know, bonding with him. I got to feed him and have him in my room and stuff,” Baker said. “But at the end of those five days, he went out one door and I went out another door.” Baker was incarcerated at the time and serving a sentence for shoplifting. She was addicted to heroin and shoplifted to sustain her dependence. The next time she saw her son, he was 9 months old. “(He) didn’t know who I was and didn’t even want me to touch him,” Baker said. “That was heartbreaking.” (Schleis, 4/8)

USA Today: Serena Williams Describes Nearly Dying From Childbirth Complications
Tennis star Serena Williams reveals the harrowing experience she had in the hospital after giving birth to her daughter Olympia in 2017 -- one that required four surgeries, including a C-section, and put her perilously close to death. (Gardner, 4/7)

AP: Whitmer Signs Bill To Speed Pre-Approvals Of Health Care
Michigan insurers that require health providers to get pre-approval to cover treatment will have to promptly respond to doctors’ requests or those requests will be automatically granted under legislation signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday. Supporters said the law will speed delays in care and provide more transparency around the process known as prior authorization. (Eggert, 4/7)

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

AP: Trans Youth Medication Ban Passed By Alabama Lawmakers 
Alabama lawmakers approved sweeping legislation Thursday to outlaw gender-affirming medications for transgender youths, as well as a separate measure setting rules about school bathrooms and prohibiting early classroom instruction on sexual and gender identity — a bill critics have dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.” The legislation now goes to Republican Gov. Kay Ivey for her consideration as Alabama becomes the latest red state to seek legislation and policies aimed at trans young people. Ivey, who is running for reelection, has not indicated whether she will sign the measures. (Chandler, 4/8)

Iowa Public Radio: State Plans To Close Troubled Glenwood Facility For Iowans With Disabilities In 2024 
The state-run Glenwood Resource Center for Iowans with severe disabilities will be closed in 2024, according to state officials. In 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice found Glenwood residents were subjected to harmful human experimentation and poor medical care. The DOJ later said the state was likely violating federal law by caring for Iowans with disabilities in institutions rather than in their homes and communities. There was also a spike in deaths at the southwest Iowa facility a few years ago. Gov. Kim Reynolds announced the plan to close the GRC in a news release Thursday. (Sostaric, 4/7)

Dallas Morning News: Dallas Man Has County’s First West Nile Virus Case Of 2022
A Dallas man has Dallas County’s first human case of West Nile virus this year, health officials said Thursday. The man is a resident of the 75219 ZIP code, which includes parts of Oak Lawn and the Love Field area. He was diagnosed with West Nile neuroinvasive disease, a more severe form of the illness. No additional information about the man was released. “We are in the early stages of WNV season and must start thinking about the possible threat that West Nile virus poses to our community as people go outside to enjoy outdoor activities,” Dr. Philip Huang, the county’s public health director, said in a written statement. (Jones, 4/7)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Drinking Water Shows Very Low Levels Of 'Forever Chemicals'
Milwaukee's drinking water remains below recommended standards for "forever chemicals" and compliant with requirements for lead, according to a report from the Milwaukee Water Works. The agency released its annual consumer compliance report Thursday, showing very low levels of PFAS in its treated water, ranging from 0.7 parts per trillion to 2.3 parts per trillion, well below the number of 20 ppt recommended by the state Department of Natural Resources. (Schulte, 4/7)

KHN: California Handed Its Medicaid Drug Program To One Company. Then Came A Corporate Takeover
Prescription drug costs for California’s massive Medicaid program were draining the state budget, so in 2019 Gov. Gavin Newsom asked the private sector for help. The new Medicaid drug program debuted this January, with a private company in charge. But it was woefully unprepared, and thousands of low-income Californians were left without critical medications for weeks, some waiting on hold for hours when they called to get help. (Young, 4/8)

AP: Up To 65% Of Africans Have Had COVID, Far More Than Thought
The World Health Organization said that up to 65% of people in Africa have been infected with the coronavirus and estimates the number of actual cases may have been nearly 100 times more than those reported. In a new analysis released Thursday, the U.N. health agency reviewed 151 studies of COVID-19 in Africa based on blood samples taken from people on the continent between January 2020 and December 2021. WHO said that by last September, about 65% of people tested had some exposure to COVID-19, translating into about 800 million infections. In contrast, only about 8 million cases had been officially reported to WHO during that time period. (4/7)

The Wall Street Journal: Shanghai Residents Plead For Help Online As Daily Covid-19 Count Nears 20,000 
Nearly a week into a citywide lockdown to combat a Covid-19 outbreak, many of Shanghai’s 25 million residents turned to social media for help to get food, medicine or, if they are taken away for quarantine, advice on what to do with their pets. ... A top Chinese health official acknowledged that the Shanghai situation has “far exceeded what the capacity of the local medical system can handle.” (Qi, 4/7)

In other global developments —

AP: Puerto Rico Steps Into Abortion Restriction Debate
Powerful lawmakers in Puerto Rico are joining conservatives in states across the U.S. mainland in attempting to set tighter restrictions on abortions, alarming feminist groups and others on the island. A recently introduced bill would prohibit abortions starting at 22 weeks, or when a doctor determines that a fetus is viable, with the sole exception being if a woman’s life is in danger. That is roughly in line with most U.S. state laws, though more limiting than Puerto Rico’s current status, which sets no term limit. (Coto, 4/7)

Bloomberg: Food Prices Jump Most On Record As War Sparks Supply Chaos
Global food prices are surging at the fastest pace ever as the war in Ukraine chokes crop supplies, piling more inflationary pain on consumers and worsening a global hunger crisis. The war has wreaked havoc on supply chains in the crucial Black Sea breadbasket region, upending global trade flows and fueling panic about shortages of key staples such as wheat and cooking oils. That’s sent food prices -- which were already surging before the conflict started -- to a record, with a United Nations’ index of world costs soaring another 13% last month. (Durisin, 4/8)

The Washington Post: This Dog Knows 40 Commands And Can Play Cards. A Hospital Hired Him. 
A children’s hospital in Orlando recently recruited candidates for a coveted new position. After rounds of interviews, its pick for the job was Parks, a 2-year-old Labrador retriever with a golden coat and floppy ears — who boasts an impressive catalogue of more than 40 commands. Like many dogs, he knows how to sit, stay and raise his paw on command. But what impressed hospital workers were Parks’s advanced skills, including pushing objects, turning light switches on and off with his snout, pulling ropes to hold drawers and doors open, retrieving items, and assisting with laundry by tugging the hamper to the washing machine. (Page, 4/5)

The Washington Post: For People With Down Syndrome, A Longer Life, But Under A Cloud 
Karen Gaffney is not afraid of challenges. Born with bum hips, she became an accomplished swimmer, crossing Lake Tahoe solo and the English Channel as part of a relay team. She started a foundation to champion people with disabilities, giving motivational speeches. She works for a law firm four days a week. But Gaffney, who has Down syndrome, loses her bravado when she talks about a looming threat to everything she has achieved, a threat to her very life: Up to 90 percent of people with the genetic condition develop Alzheimer’s disease, usually in their early 50s but sometimes in their 40s. Gaffney is 43. (McGinley, 4/7)

North Carolina Health News: Can NC Reduce The Number Of Children In Crisis Who End Up In Limbo? Advocates Hope A New Plan Can Help
Whenever children are removed from their homes as social workers and others try to protect them from abuse, neglect or other dangerous situations, it can be emotionally wrenching for them. Some have been even further traumatized in North Carolina recently by having to sleep in the offices of social service departments, in hospital emergency rooms or local hotel rooms as child welfare workers search for a safe bed and temporary housing. (Blythe, 3/28)

Undark: The Fractious Evolution Of Pediatric Transgender Medicine
Relationships between patients and physicians last a long time at Amsterdam’s Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria. Some of today’s adult patients have been visiting the clinic since the age of 5, when their parents first noticed signs of gender dysphoria — the experience of distress that can occur when a person’s gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. For some very young children, the negative feelings subside with the passage of time and they no longer identify as transgender. But for other children, the distress persists into the years leading up to puberty. (Klotz, 4/6)

The Wall Street Journal: Plus-Size Fitness Fans Call For More-Inclusive Sports Gear, Equipment 
Many apparel companies have started selling larger sizes in recent years, but some people who wear plus-size clothes say makers of technical athletic gear and apparel have failed to keep pace. While ordinary shorts and T-shirts above a U.S. size 16 are sold many places, specialized items are more elusive. Archers and fencers say sufficiently large chest guards are hard to find. Horseback and bike riders have to hunt for well-fitting breeches and padded pants. Skiers and snowboarders have trouble getting snow pants and boots, which have to fit around the calf. (Deighton, 4/4)

The New York Times: Cannabis For Better Sex? Here’s What The Science Says
The bottom line: It’s hard to say with certainty that cannabis will increase desire or improve your sex life, but anecdotal evidence suggests that the right dose of cannabis can make a woman’s orgasms more satisfying and increase sex drive. This is in part because cannabis can enhance the senses and also alleviate some of the symptoms that inhibit desire, like anxiety, sleeplessness or pain. It can have positive effects for men, as well, but also several negative ones, and women should be aware of its potential downsides, too. (Caron, 4/1)

USA Today and El Paso Times: US, Mexico Seek New Pandemic Strategies In Wake Of COVID Disaster
Health experts like to warn that "disease knows no borders." It was true for El Paso, Texas, and Juárez at the U.S.-Mexico border, two cities a river's width apart. COVID-19 ripped through families on both sides as if the border didn't exist, changing and ending lives regardless of nationality. The two cities confronted waves of COVID-19 that hit within days or weeks of each other. The virus took a terrible toll on the lives of Borderland residents, overwhelming hospitals, shuttering businesses and isolating previously intertwined communities. More than 3,300 people have died in El Paso; more than 4,500 have perished in Juárez. (Pskowski and Villagran, 3/29)

The New York Times: Inside A Maternity Hospital In Ukraine As War Grinds On 
Before the war, Alina Shynkar’s gynecologist advised her to avoid stress during her pregnancy, suggesting she spend time “just watching cartoons and being silly.” It was simple enough advice, but not so easy to follow after air-raid sirens wailed, artillery booms rattled windows and vicious street fighting broke out a few miles away from her maternity hospital. Then, keeping calm for her baby became Ms. Shynkar’s quiet, personal battle in the Ukraine war. She checked into Maternity Hospital No. 5 in the capital, Kyiv, before the war began in late February for bed rest because of a risk of preterm labor, only to witness the hospital unravel into a chaotic, panicked state weeks later. (Kramer, 4/7)

The Washington Post: The Gridiron Club Outbreak Shows What Living With Covid-19 Looks Like 
At least a dozen high-profile guests who attended Saturday’s Gridiron Club dinner have tested positive for the coronavirus, including Attorney General Merrick Garland, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Reps. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) and Joaquin Castro (D-Tex.). While contact tracing investigations have yet to confirm that these infections occurred at the dinner itself, the growing number of cases among attendees suggests the Gridiron was a super-spreader event. (Leana S. Wen, 4/7)

CNN: For China's Xi, Zero-Covid Is Personal 
Those hoping China relaxes its zero-Covid policy would have been deeply disappointed with Vice Premier Sun Chunlan's loud and clear signal that an end was nowhere near in sight, during a visit to virus hotspot Shanghai last week. China, she declared, would be clinging to its "dynamic zero-Covid" strategy "without hesitation or wavering." Unsurprisingly, we are seeing Shanghai -- well known for its targeted and flexible approach to the pandemic -- now turning to draconian measures to control the virus. In addition to multiple rounds of city-wide mass testing and lockdown of 25 million residents, it is relocating close contacts and sub-close contacts to other cities. And building perhaps the world's largest quarantine center, with 40,000 beds. (Yanzhong Huang, 4/8)

Bloomberg: For China’s Leaders, 'Lying Flat' Is Scarier Than Covid 
In the U.S. and Europe, the phrase “living with the virus” refers to reopening the economy and trusting that vaccines work. Not in China. In the public discourse, that would be tantamount to “lie flat,” a catchphrase for encouraging inaction — an approach that has grown so popular that it drew a condemnation from President Xi Jinping last year. (Shuli Ren, 4/7)

The Washington Post: My Mother Was Dying Of Covid. Being Poor Made It So Much Worse
My mother died several weeks ago in the covid-19 “red zone” of a nursing home in northeastern Pennsylvania, after having been bounced among three public hospitals over the last three weeks of her illness. The room in which she died looked as though it had been used for storage, with supplies and unused furniture stacked near her bed. No phone, no television, no dresser for her belongings. She had three roommates, one of whom screamed nearly incessantly. (Bobbi Dempsey, 4/7)

Also —

The Boston Globe: Affordable Care Act Could Become A Midterm Election Albatross 
Oh, the many incarnations of the Affordable Care Act. In its short life, it’s gone from popular plan to political albatross to positive asset. The Lazarus-like law has been falsely and repeatedly declared dead, only to rebound from nearly repealed to newly esteemed. The latest poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation puts public support of the ACA at 55 percent, with 42 percent opposed. On Tuesday, President Biden had former president Barack Obama back to the White House to underscore — and bask in — the law’s current public regard. Obama admitted in good-humored fashion that he had once worried that passing the ACA might cost him reelection. (Scot Lehigh, 4/7)

The Star Tribune: Fix For Health Law Flaw Will Help Working Families 
If health insurance is affordable for a family's breadwinner but not everyone else in the household, that's a problem. Illnesses minor and major are a part of life. Throughout the year, even family members in good health will likely need to see a doctor at some point. For kids, it could be for an ear infection or a soccer injury. A spouse might need maternity care. (4/7)

Stat: Averting The Looming Purge Of People From Medicaid 
Up to 16 million Americans on Medicaid, the federal-state program that provides health care to low-income people, are on the verge of calamity, and it will take thoughtful, decisive action on the part of government to avert it. In the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, as part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, the federal government increased its share of Medicaid reimbursement to states. In exchange, states agreed to not remove anyone from Medicaid. This protection, and the expanded reimbursement, were to stay in place until the federal government ended the pandemic public health emergency. (Gerard Vitti, 4/8)

Scientific American: We Need Better Diagnostic Tests For Autism In Women 
“You don’t look autistic. ”This is what people say when I first tell them I’m on the spectrum. But I do look autistic. The problem is that people, especially medical professionals, don’t know what to look for when it comes to identifying and diagnosing autism in women and girls. (Zhara Astra, 4/7)

The Washington Post: Maryland Swings Open The Door For Much-Needed Health-Care Workers 
Two years into the pandemic, the state’s hospitals and other health-care providers are hurting. At the start of the year, more than a quarter of more than 25,000 full-time-equivalent registered nursing positions in Maryland hospitals were vacant, according to the Maryland Hospital Association. The trendline suggested worse to come. One obvious, readily available measure is to lower barriers for entering the workforce without sacrificing an iota of qualifications and training. Undocumented immigrants who pass required screening, training and certification, and meet all other standards, can do nursing and other jobs, and they are eager for them. But without state legislation, federal law blocks them from getting licensed. (4/7)

Miami Herald: Black Mothers Die At Higher Rates. Florida's 'Stop WOKE Act' Could Make That Worse
I am a social epidemiologist who researches the role of structural racism in increasing the risk for maternal hypertension among Black women. I keenly understand how policies that seemingly have no health impacts can gravely create disparate pregnancy outcomes. The harmful effects of restricting education on topics like structural racism, racial segregation, redlining, and Jim Crow will be felt for generations to come, not just in maternal mortality rates but for various diseases that cause Black people to lose their lives too soon. (Brittney Butler, 4/7)

Columbus Dispatch: What Can Be Done To Lower Mortality Rates For Black Babies?
In Franklin County, health inequalities – including a widening gap between white and Black infant mortality rates – tell us we need to do more to protect our mothers and babies. As we approach Black Maternal Health Week from April 11 to 17, we’re reminded that we can and we must do better. CelebrateOne, founded in 2014 to reduce overall infant mortality while reducing racial disparities in mortality rates, has seen rates decline 20% overall and in CelebrateOne priority neighborhoods by 20%. The number of sleep-related deaths decreased 18% overall. (Maureen L. Stapleton, 4/7)

The Tennessean: Let’s Bring Veteran Telehealth To The Volunteer State
Over the last two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed health care to the forefront of the national conversation. As a result, we have seen monumental shifts in the delivery of health care, as providers have turned to new technologies to address the risks posed by the pandemic. One of these new technologies, telehealth, can drastically improve care for rural patients across the country and transform their lives for the better. (Richard Briggs, 4/8)

Also —

The CT Mirror: Address Lack Of Mental Health Parity, Don’t Make Things Worse!
Everyone acknowledges the mental health crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing the mental health needs of Connecticut residents, particularly children, is a top priority this legislative session. Therefore, one has to question why a proposal that could potentially result in rolling back some of the progress we have made towards parity in access to mental health treatment remains under consideration. (Jordan Fairchild and Kathy Flaherty, 4/8)

The Boston Globe: To Transform Public Health, Invest In Behavioral Research 
Dr. Francis Collins, former director of the National Institutes of Health, recently reflected on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. Collins noted, “Maybe we underinvested in research on human behavior. I never imagined a year ago . . . that we would still have 60 million people [unvaccinated].” As a public health and health behavior expert who has spent over a decade studying factors that shape human behavior and health outcomes, and whose job relies heavily on research funding from institutions like NIH, I found his remarks frustrating. Researchers in my field have been advocating for increased support of behavioral research for decades — long before the World Health Organization listed vaccine hesitancy as among the top threats to public health in 2019. (Monica L. Wang, 4/7)

The CT Mirror: Give Connecticut's Struggling Patients Greater Access To Prescriptions
Three years ago I wrote in The CT Mirror that we in Connecticut had a growing mental health crisis on our hands: that too many people who needed psychiatric medications for behavioral health or substance abuse issues could not get them. I recounted that during those pre-pandemic days, my office manager tried to find services for her daughter. She called 19 psychiatrists without one return call. As I said at the time, the reasons could have been many: they were too busy, too full, or maybe they didn’t accept that person’s health insurance. (David Greenfield PhD, 4/8)