The Washington Post: Texas’s Six-Week Abortion Ban Remains In Effect After Federal Appeals Court Ruling
The nation’s most restrictive abortion law remains in effect in Texas after a federal appeals court on Monday rejected a request from abortion providers to immediately return their legal challenge to a trial court judge who had previously blocked the measure. In a 2-to-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit temporarily transferred the case to the Texas Supreme Court, a step requested by state officials that could leave the dispute in limbo for months. (Marimow, 1/17)

AP: 'No End In Sight:' Texas Abortion Clinics Dealt New Setback
Abortion clinics fear the case will now languish for weeks if not months, and maybe not until after the U.S. Supreme Court makes a ruling in a Mississippi case that could roll back abortion rights across the country. “There is now no end in sight for this injustice that has been allowed to go on for almost five months,” said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, which is suing over the Texas law. (1/18)

The Texas Tribune and ProPublica: Texas Abortion Law Challenge Heads To State's Supreme Court 
The three-judge federal panel, based in New Orleans, wrote in their 2-1 decision Monday that the Texas Supreme Court must certify the case and decide whether the U.S. Supreme Court was correct in allowing a challenge to proceed against the licensing officials. Circuit Judges Edith H. Jones and Stuart Kyle Duncan, both appointed by Republicans, said the state’s highest court should determine whether the Texas attorney general, the Texas Medical Board and other licensing officials can enforce the law if it is violated. Judge Stephen A. Higginson, a Democratic appointee, argued the U.S. Supreme Court had already decided that matter. (Kriel, 1/17)

In abortion news from West Virginia and South Dakota —

West Virginia Metro News: Public Hearing On Abortion Bill Draws Strong Views, Personal Stories 
West Virginia citizens spoke out about a bill that would ban abortions after 15 weeks in West Virginia. During a public hearing in the House of Delegates chamber, than 20 speakers addressed that bill plus another that would make it illegal to transport and sell aborted fetal organs in the state. The bill mirrors a Mississippi law under review by the U.S. Supreme Court. Most speakers expressed views against the 15-week ban, although several spoke in favor of it. Each speaker got 2 minutes. (McElhinny, 1/17)

Charleston Gazette Mail: House Has Public Hearing On Abortion, Most Speakers Against Bills
Out of 17 total speakers, five men were the lone voices of support during a public hearing on Monday for a piece of legislation that would further limit abortion access in West Virginia. House Bill 4004 would ban abortions, except in cases of medical emergency or “severe fetal abnormality,” at 15 weeks. Current state law outlaws abortions past 20 weeks. The only abortion care provider in the state, the West Virginia Women’s Health Center, offers abortions until the 16-week mark. Last week, Republican lawmakers in the House committee on Health and Human Resources voted down amendments that would have made exceptions for sexual assault and incest, as well as changed language to be more inclusive and in-line with other sections of code. (Coyne, 1/17)

Sioux Falls Argus Leader: South Dakota Gov. Noem's Abortion Pill Law: What Changes After Jan. 27
Last week, Gov. Kristi Noem's telemedicine ban on medical abortions cleared its last hurdle in becoming South Dakota law. Lawmakers at a six-member legislative rules review committee finalized the ban with a 4-2 vote, "troubled" the bill skirted a more thorough debate in the legislature. "I truly am troubled," said Republican Sen. Timothy Johns at the review committee meeting. "I'm highly reluctant to ever intervene when it comes to decisions between patients and doctors, and I think we're getting too close." (Ki, 1/14)

Also —

Stat: Telehealth Startups Focused On Women's Health Avoid Abortion Pills 
The online pharmacy Nurx advertises itself as the company that “gives women sexual freedom.” Hims & Hers aims to “eliminate stigma” and improve health care access. Tia offers telehealth services focused on “whole woman, whole life.” And on the day in December that the Food and Drug Administration declared abortion pills will be permanently available by mail, The Pill Club tweeted its support. And yet, one month since the FDA’s announcement and close to two years after abortion pills became available by mail in 13 states, none of these telemedicine companies — though they’re explicitly focused on women’s sexual health — has chosen to offer the treatment. (Goldhill, 1/18)

CNN: Health Care Workers Face March 15 Vaccination Deadline After Supreme Court Ruling 
Health care workers covered by the Biden administration's vaccine mandate will have until March 15 to be fully vaccinated in the 24 states where the requirement was reinstated by the Supreme Court, the agency implementing the policy said Friday. Twenty-five states and Washington, DC, continue to face a February 28 deadline for covered health care workers to be fully vaccinated, as the mandate had not been blocked in those states before the Supreme Court order that came down Thursday. (Sneed, 1/14)

Modern Healthcare: CMS Pushes Deadline For Vaccine Mandate In 24 States
Healthcare workers in the 24 states that are newly subject to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' COVID-19 vaccine mandate will need to get their first shot by Feb. 14 and final shot by March 15, according to new guidance released by CMS Friday. Facilities in the 24 states subject to the new guidance will also need to demonstrate that they've developed policies and procedures to make sure all facility staff are vaccinated against COVID-19 by Feb. 14. The guidance specifically applies to Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming. (Goldman, 1/14)

In other updates on vaccine mandates —

Cody Enterprise: Hospital Revises Vaccination Deadlines After Supreme Court Upholds Mandate 
Cody Regional Health is revising its vaccine and exemption deadlines for employees after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the vaccine mandate affecting most health care workers to proceed. On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court halted the federal vaccine mandate for employees at large businesses, but allowed one that effects nearly all health care workers. Both had been on hold in Wyoming. (Taylor, 1/17)

Akron Beacon Journal: COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates For Ohio Healthcare Workers
The Cleveland Clinic has set a deadline of Jan. 27 for its employees to comply with a federal mandate to have at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The Crystal Clinic Orthopedic Center and University Hospitals also said they would be in compliance by the updated deadlines. (Lin-Fisher, 1/18)

WHYY: Philadelphia Extends Vaccine Mandate Deadline For City Workers 
A vaccine mandate for city workers in Philadelphia originally set to start Friday has been extended to later in January because negotiations with the unions representing municipal employees are ongoing. In November, the city announced that all municipal employees and contractors, including union workers, would have to be vaccinated by Jan. 14. Officials had previously mandated vaccines for non-union workers only by Dec. 1.City employees now have until Jan. 24 to meet the vaccination mandate. (Read, 1/14)

Houston Chronicle: Local Companies Stick To Vaccination Policies After Supreme Court Decision
Local companies say they will maintain their vaccination policies despite last week’s Supreme Court ruling that struck down the Biden administration’s vaccination mandate for firms with more than 100 employees. The Houston software company Hewlett Packard Enterprises, for example, said vaccinations are still required for employees to enter offices, work at clients’ sites or travel for business. Those who decline to be vaccinated are required to work from home. (Carballo, 1/17)

Louisville Courier Journal: How COVID Omicron Variant Impacts Louisville Workers, Public Services
No yard waste collection. Fewer community outreach programs. Dozens of police officers, firefighters and bus drivers out sick. The more-contagious omicron variant — which has infected both the vaccinated and unvaccinated — is taking a huge toll on the municipal services Louisville's residents have come to rely on. Through the latest challenging spell of an exhausting pandemic, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer has held off on requiring COVID-19 vaccination for Metro Government workers, telling The Courier Journal during a year-end interview in December he believed a vaccine mandate could worsen the staffing facing several city departments. (Kobin, 1/18)

The Wall Street Journal: CDC Director Aims To Improve Covid-19 Messaging, Data Collection
One year into her tenure as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rochelle Walensky acknowledged that she hasn’t been clear enough with the American public. She says the pandemic threw curveballs that she should have anticipated. She thinks she should have made it clearer to the public that new rules and guidelines were subject to change if the nature of the fight against Covid-19 shifted again. “I think what I have not conveyed is the uncertainty in a lot of these situations,” Dr. Walensky said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. (Toy, 1/17)

CNN: CDC's Suggestion To Cancel Football, Band In Nearly Every US School Called 'Unrealistic' 
If the scientists at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had their way, to curb the spread of Covid-19 right now, nearly every US school would cancel football, wrestling, band and loads of other mainstay school activities. In another piece of guidance, the CDC tells people who've recovered from Covid-19 that they can leave their homes after five days -- and while they are out and about for the next five days, they should avoid being around more than 80% of the US public. Dr. William Schaffner, an adviser to the CDC for four decades, said it's "unlikely, unreasonable, and unrealistic" to think Americans will follow either of the agency's suggestions. (Cohen, 1/17)

The New York Times: The C.D.C.’s New Challenge? Grappling With Imperfect Science 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was long revered for its methodical and meticulous scientific approach. Agencies in other nations modeled themselves after the world’s most highly regarded public health authority, even adopting the name. At the outset of the pandemic, the C.D.C. moved at its accustomed pace. But this time, with a novel virus moving so quickly, the country paid a price: Testing and surveillance lagged as the agency tried to implement dated approaches with creaky infrastructure. Officials were late to recommend masking, in part because federal scientists took too long to recognize that the virus was airborne. (Mandavilli, 1/17)

Bloomberg: Surgeon General Defends Biden Response
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy defended the Biden administration’s response to the surge of Covid-19 infections caused by the omicron variant, conceding though that health officials need to “close that gap” in the severe shortage of testing. “We have more to do,” Murthy said on ABC’s “This Week,” adding that the spike in infections outstripped what he said was an eight-fold increase in testing over the last month. (Fisher and Strohm, 1/16)

The New York Times: Cloth Masks Do Not Protect Against Virus As Effectively As Others, C.D.C. Says 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday clarified its stance on various kinds of masks, acknowledging that the cloth masks frequently worn by Americans do not offer as much protection as surgical masks or respirators. While this disparity is widely known to the general public, the update marks the first time the C.D.C. has explicitly addressed the differences. The agency’s website also no longer refers to a shortage of respirators. (Mandavilli, 1/14)

Slate: CDC Updates Guidelines To Make Clear Cloth Masks Offer Least Protection Against COVID
“Loosely woven cloth products provide the least protection, layered finely woven products offer more protection, well-fitting disposable surgical masks and KN95s offer even more protection, and well-fitting NIOSH-approved respirators (including N95s) offer the highest level of protection,” the CDC said. Although there had previously been concern about shortages of N95s and KN95s for healthcare workers that’s no longer the case and people can now wear them without worry. When wearing a higher-quality mask isn’t possible, the CDC recommends a disposable mask underneath a cloth mask. Details aside, the CDC still wants to send the message “that any mask is better than no mask,” as Kristen Nordlund, a CDC spokeswoman, said. (Politi, 1/15)

Newsweek: Do Cloth Masks Work Against COVID? New CDC Mask Guidelines Explained
While some studies have shown that cloth masks are able to reduce the number of oral contaminants spread by people, not all viruses and bacteria are the same size, and neither are all cloth masks. One study from February 2021 set out to compare how well cloth face masks blocked aerosol particles from hitting a collection chamber and found that their filtration efficiencies varied massively from as low as 1.4 percent to 98 percent. (Browne, 1/17)

Also —

CNN: Virginia's New GOP Governor Meets Resistance From Some School Districts Planning To Keep Mask Requirements 
Newly inaugurated Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has been in office for mere days, but the Republican is already rolling back the priorities of his Democratic predecessors and running into opposition from counties he lost months earlier, specifically on the hot-button issue of mask requirements in schools. The tension over school mask requirements echoes the way pandemic-related measures have become political touchpoints over the past two years, with Youngkin campaigning last fall in no small part on parents' frustrations with remote learning and seizing on what they perceived as lack of control over their kids' schooling. (Merica and McKend, 1/17)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Health Department Distributes 1 Million N95 Masks In A Week
The Milwaukee Health Department announced Friday evening that all N95 masks supplied to them have been distributed to the public. Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson announced last week that the city had received 500,000 N95 masks from the state and would begin distributing the masks last Saturday. The health department distributed the 500,000 masks in three days and announced they would distribute 500,000 more beginning Thursday. Demand was high for the masks, just as demand was high for testing. The city's health department finished distributing the second round of masks by 4 p.m. Friday. (Bentley, 1/14)

The Washington Post: Don’t Count On Omicron Ending The Pandemic, Fauci Says
Top U.S. health officials are urging caution amid reports of coronavirus cases peaking in some areas and speculation that the omicron variant could be a pandemic killer. “It is an open question whether it will be the live virus vaccination that everyone is hoping for,” Anthony S. Fauci, the president’s chief medical adviser, said Monday during a virtual panel at the Davos Agenda. (Jeong, 1/18)

Bloomberg: When Will Covid End? Fauci Says Too Soon To Say Omicron Heralds Shift To Endemic
Anthony Fauci, the top medical adviser to the U.S. president, said it’s too soon to say whether the omicron variant will herald a shift in the Covid-19 pandemic to endemic. “It’s an open question as to whether or not omicron is going to be the live virus vaccination everyone is hoping for,” Fauci said Monday at the World Economic Forum’s Davos Agenda online conference. Other scientists and government officials have expressed optimism that omicron’s rapid spread and milder outcomes could signal an eventual shift to learning to live with the virus, much like the world does with seasonal flu. Pfizer’s Chief Executive Albert Bourla told French newspaper Le Figaro that life could soon return to normal. (Hoffman and Gretler, 1/17)

Everyone wants to know: What will happen next? —

The Atlantic: What's Past Omicron's Peak?
The pattern fits with what recent models predict. National case counts will hit a maximum this month, maybe a touch later. (Some think that the peak is already behind us.) It’s all a bit squishy still, but epidemiologists such as Justin Lessler of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are “pretty confident” that the American apex is nigh. Peak could then give way to plunge, as it did in South Africa. It’s tempting, then, to imagine Omicron loosening its vise grip on the United States just as quickly as it latched on. February will be better; March, rosier still. Americans will get something like a Hot Post-Omi Spring. (Wu, 1/14)

The Washington Post: As Nations Decide To Live With The Virus, Some Disease Experts Warn Of Surrendering Too Soon 
The phrase often heard now in the United States and many other nations is “live with the virus.” That new stance is applauded by some officials and scientists, and welcomed by people exhausted with the hardships and disruptions of this global health emergency entering its third year. But there are also disease experts who fear the pendulum will swing too far the other way. They worry that many world leaders are gambling on a relatively benign outcome from this omicron variant surge, and sending messages that will lead people who are normally prudent to abandon the social distancing and mask-wearing known to limit the pathogen’s spread. Epidemiologists say the live-with-it strategy underestimates the dangers posed by omicron. (Achenbach, 1/15)

Stat: At Davos, A 'Good News, Bad News' Message Emerges About Covid-19
As the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc, an expert panel at the World Economic Forum delivered a mix of good news and bad news on Monday: More variants will emerge, but vaccine production is accelerating and research is progressing toward a combined shot that may be able to attack these different variants. On one hand, the world needs to prepare for newer strains that could be more vexing, or the “worst case scenario,” said Annelies Wilder-Smith, a professor of emerging infectious diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. “Omicron will not be the last variant. There’s a high probability we will have another variant coming up. The question is when and will it be less dangerous?” (Silverman, 1/17)

Stateline: A Shift Away From Daily COVID Case Counts Has Begun
The most familiar indicator of COVID-19’s inexorable nationwide spread—daily state and local case counts—may be on the way out. Instead, public health officials are considering a shift from increasingly inaccurate case data to numbers they say better represent the effect of the disease on the community and the health care system: COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths. Omicron case counts are shattering all previous COVID-19 records. But the numbers don’t carry the same weight they used to. State and local health departments are preparing to explain that to the public and start reporting more meaningful data on the virus. (Vestal, 1/14)

In updates on the spread of the coronavirus —

AP: 4 Oklahoma City Hospitals Report No ICU Beds As Virus Surges
Four hospitals in Oklahoma City reported Monday that they have no intensive care beds available amid a surge in coronavirus cases fueled by the omicron variant. St. Anthony, Mercy, Integris and OU Health on Monday each reported no available ICU beds and that they had a total of 737 COVID-19 patients. (1/17)

AP: Air Force Team Helps Yuma Hospital Care For COVID Patients 
Needing assistance due to staff shortages and increasing numbers of COVID-19 patients, including some requiring high levels of care, Yuma Regional Medical Center applied to the federal government for help. That call was answered two weeks ago with the arrival of a 15-member Air Force medical augmentation team. Now about halfway through a 30-day deployment at Yuma Regional, the team’s members are stepping in to help the hospital’s personnel wherever help is needed, the Yuma Sun reported. (1/17)

Salt Lake Tribune: Intermountain Healthcare Restricts Patient Visitation After Utah’s Record-Breaking Week Of COVID-19 Cases
Intermountain Healthcare is temporarily tightening patient visitation at its hospitals due to high patient volumes and the spread of the omicron variant, the healthcare system announced Saturday. Effective Tuesday, Intermountain hospitals will allow overnight visitors only for pediatric patients, laboring or postpartum mothers, patients who are suffering from dementia or those who are critically ill. The announcement comes after the Utah Department of Health reported over 11,000 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, the second-highest total since the pandemic began. (Miller, 1/16)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Explosive Rise In Louisiana Nursing Home COVID Cases Now Fueling Staffing Crisis
As the calendar turned to the new year, Louisiana's nursing homes confronted a familiar foe: skyrocketing coronavirus cases among residents and staff, worsening an already dire staffing crisis and creating worry among advocates. The explosion in new cases is striking: Louisiana's roughly 270 nursing homes have reported nearly 1,000 new cases among residents in the last two weeks and more than 2,700 new staff cases. Both numbers are more than six times what was reported in the last week of December and represent some of the highest numbers at any time during the pandemic. (Roberts III, 1/15)

AP: Judge Stops Minnesota Hospital From Disconnecting Ventilator
A man who has been suffering from a severe case of COVID-19 and was being kept alive by a ventilator has been moved from a Minnesota hospital to a Texas facility after a judge issued a restraining order stopping the hospital from turning off his machine. Fifty-five-year-old Scott Quiner, of Buffalo, was a patient at Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids. He was flown to an unnamed facility in Texas over the weekend, the family’s attorney said. (1/17)

Also —

AP: Joint Chiefs Chairman And Marine Corps Chief Have COVID-19 
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley has tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing very minor symptoms, a spokesperson said Monday. The Marine Corps said its commandant, Gen. David Berger, also has COVID-19. Milley, who has received the vaccine and a booster shot, tested positive on Sunday, Joint Chiefs spokesperson Col. Dave Butler said in a statement. Milley was isolating himself and working remotely from a location where he can perform all his duties, Butler said. The Marine Corps said in a statement that Berger also tested positive, giving no other details except to say his ability to work is unaffected. Other Joint Chiefs of Staff members tested negative, Butler said. (1/17)

The New York Times: More Cruises Canceled As Omicron Spreads 
Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises have canceled several trips as the Omicron variant continues to wreak havoc with the cruise industry. ... On Friday, Royal Caribbean canceled a sailing on the ship Independence of the Seas, in response to “Covid-related circumstances around the world,” the company said on its website. The company said this month that it had called off planned trips on three ships — Serenade of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas and Jewel of the Seas — and delayed the return to cruising of another, Vision of the Seas, to March. (Lukpat and Yeginsu, 1/17)

Fox News: Omicron Symptoms May Include Night Sweats
As the omicron variant of the coronavirus continues to spread around the country, some patients are reported to be experiencing new symptoms. Doctors say some people are now reporting night sweats, a symptom also associated with sleep disorders, some cancers and the flu. According to Mayo Clinic, night sweats are "repeated episodes of extreme perspiration that may soak your nightclothes or bedding and are related to an underlying medical condition or illness." (Musto, 1/14)

CIDRAP: COVID-19 Worsens Maternal, Fetal Outcomes, Studies Find 
Women who gave birth within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test died at a significantly higher rate than their healthy counterparts, finds a Scottish study yesterday in Nature Medicine. They were also more prone to poor birth outcomes, even if they weren't severely ill, according to a US study in The Lancet Digital Health. (Van Beusekom, 1/14)

KHN: ‘American Diagnosis’ Episode 1: On The Navajo Nation, Root Causes Complicated The Covid Fight 
Travel to the forests outside the Grand Canyon to follow Dr. Sophina Calderon and other Navajo Nation leaders as covid-19 tests the Diné people. Roughly 30% of the homes on the Navajo Nation rely on wood-burning stoves for heat. Many of those households haul wood from nearby forests. That’s what Calderon was doing when she realized the pandemic’s reach wouldn’t stop at the hospital — it was going to create a heating crisis too. (1/18)

CNN: Fourth Vaccine Dose Likely Not Enough To Prevent Omicron Breakthrough Infections 
Early data out of Israel suggests that a fourth dose of either the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna coronavirus vaccine can bring an increase in antibodies -- more than what's been seen after a third dose -- but it still might not be enough to protect against breakthrough infections caused by the Omicron variant. "These are very preliminary results. This is before any publication, but we're giving it out since we understand the urgency of the public to get any information possible about the fourth dose," Dr. Gili Regev-Yochay, director of the Infection Prevention and Control Unit at Sheba Medical Center, told reporters during a virtual news conference Monday about the data. (Howard, 1/18)

AP: Israel Study: 4th Vaccine Shows Limited Results With Omicron
An Israeli hospital on Monday said preliminary research indicates a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine provides only limited defense against the omicron variant that is raging around the world. Sheba Hospital last month began administering a fourth vaccine to more than 270 medical workers — 154 who received a Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine and 120 others who received Moderna’s. All had previously been vaccinated three times with the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine. (Federman, 1/17)

In news about ivermectin —

CBS News: Arkansas Inmates Who Were Given Ivermectin To Treat COVID In Jail File Federal Lawsuit: "They Used Us As An Experiment" 
A group of men detained at Washington County Detention Center in Arkansas say that the jail's medical staff gave them the anti-parasite drug ivermectin last year, without their consent, to treat COVID-19, while telling them the pills were "vitamins." On Wednesday, the American Civil Liberties Union, on behalf of the inmates, filed a federal lawsuit against the jail and its doctor.  (Cohen, 1/17)

CIDRAP: Insurers May Be Spending $130 Million On Ivermectin For COVID-19
Needless insurer spending on ivermectin prescriptions for COVID-19, estimated at $2.5 million in the United States for the week of Aug 13, 2021—the most recent week analyzed—would extrapolate to $130 million annually, US researchers reported yesterday in JAMA. (1/14)

In other news about covid treatments —

CIDRAP: Casirivimab-Imdevimab Reduces Symptomatic COVID-19 In Phase 3 Trial
A phase 3 clinical trial today in JAMA finds that only 29.0% of 314 asymptomatic COVID-19–infected people living with an infected household member developed symptomatic illness after receiving the monoclonal antibodies casirivimab and imdevimab, compared with 42.3% given a placebo. Scientists from Regeneron, maker of the casirivimab-imdevimab combination Regen-CoV, led the randomized, double-blind trial at 112 sites in the United States, Romania, and Moldova. The combination is available through an emergency use authorization for high-risk, nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients. (1/14)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: SSM Health Will Not Use Race And Gender To Determine Who Gets COVID Treatment
SSM Health will no longer use race or ethnicity as a factor in determining if a patient is to receive monoclonal antibodies to treat patients COVID-19. The healthcare agency made the announcement after receiving a letter on Friday from the Wisconsin Institute of Law and Liberty alleging racial discrimination in the company's policies to determine who receives monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19 infections. (Torres, 1/14)

CIDRAP: Firm Tackles US Drug Shortages During COVID With Wisconsin Plant 
After witnessing generic drug quality issues during visits to Asian manufacturing facilities and wrestling with dwindling domestic production capacity and foreign pricing fluctuations, family-run Nexus Pharmaceuticals found a solution a half hour north of its Lincolnshire, Illinois, headquarters. This summer, the company opened a generic specialty injectables manufacturing plant on 16 acres in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, joining the same corporate park as the soon-to-open Haribo gummi bear manufacturing plant, its first in North America. (Van Beusekom, 1/14)

NPR: Overrun Free COVID Test Sites, Lack Of At-Home Antigen Kits Push People To Pay
As omicron has muscled out delta to become the dominant COVID strain, hours-long lines have become common at free testing sites across the country. Many people haven't been lucky enough to snag an appointment. And at-home antigen tests have been just as scarce, in some areas. Boutique testing sites have sprung up to meet the overwhelming demand. Since just before Christmas, about 200 people a day have pulled into the reserved parking places in front of Pure Care Pharmacy, in a small strip mall sandwiched between tract homes, about 20 miles north of downtown San Diego. They come seeking COVID tests – willing to pay between $85 and $240 for them – many after failing to book free tests with the omicron crush. (Isackson, 1/18)

NBC News: Cost Of Masks And Tests Deepens A Pandemic Wedge Between The Haves And The Have-Nots
During the pandemic, three quarters of workers said it was very or somewhat difficult to make ends meet, 40 percent said they couldn’t come up with $400 in the event of an emergency and around 20 percent said they went hungry because they couldn’t afford enough to eat, according to the Shift Project, an ongoing survey of American hourly wage workers operated by Harvard University sociologist Daniel Schneider. ... In some cities, local mutual aid groups — many created amid the George Floyd protests during the summer of 2020 — have worked to fill the gap. Organizers in Portland, Oregon, and in Seattle have poured their own money into the effort and put out calls for cash and test kits to hand out to those in need. (McCausland, 1/17)

And more on covid testing —

Fox News: FEMA Administrator On Delayed COVID Testing Efforts: Agency's Role 'Has Not Changed'
Responding to questions about whether the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) should have been surging resources for COVID-19 testing months ago – before the omicron variant of the coronavirus began to infect individuals nationwide – Administrator Deanne Criswell said Friday that the agency was working to support states based on what they had requested. Speaking at the White House press briefing, the leader said FEMA's role has always been to support hospitals, schools and public service agencies. (Musto, 1/16)

The Boston Globe: For Marginalized Groups, COVID Testing Shortages A Bigger Burden
Take-home rapid tests and PCR testing appointments are hard to come by for everyone amid the surge in coronavirus cases. But for marginalized groups statewide, the scavenger hunt for COVID testing is tougher to navigate. A lack of reliable transportation, jobs with little flexibility, and language barriers make the search for tests more grueling in low-income, immigrant, and BIPOC communities, advocates and public health specialists say. Even weather variables, such as the extreme cold last week that closed some outdoor tent sites, add another challenge to the mix. “The inequities have continued to plague communities of color and low-income communities across the state,” said Carlene Pavlos, executive director of the Massachusetts Public Health Association. “They continue to be the hardest hit.” (Woodard, 1/17)

North Carolina Health News: Rapid Antigen Tests Are Coming. Now What? 
In the coming days, people seeking a rapid test to see if they’re positive for COVID-19 will be able to put information into a federal website and ask for up to four rapid tests. Ten to 12 days later, they should arrive in the mail. And over the past weekend, federal rules recently put in place mean that insurance companies now have to reimburse plan members for up to eight over the counter rapid COVID-19 tests per month. All this comes as the Biden administration is finally putting its weight behind scaling up the number of rapid tests being manufactured and released to the public – about a billion rapid tests should be online by the first week of February. That should make it easier for people to get their hands on the tests, which have flown off of pharmacy shelves since late December. (Hoban, 1/18)

The Washington Post: They Relied On Rapid Coronavirus Tests To Gather Safely. Some Wish They Hadn’t
Rona MacInnes, 54, was determined to do everything possible to protect her elderly mother as her family prepared to gather for Christmas in Pennington, N.J. With her son returning from study in Dublin, MacInnes hoped serial at-home coronavirus tests would catch a coronavirus infection he might bring home. The college junior would take six rapid tests before the holiday, all of which returned negative results. But it would become clear only later — after he had spent time with his grandmother — that he had been infected the whole time. Several days after gathering for Christmas, he got a positive result back from the first available lab-based PCR test he was able to book. (Shepherd, 1/17)

AP: Retesting Needed After Nearly 500 COVID-19 Tests Discarded
Nearly 500 people will need to be retested for COVID-19 after samples from tests they took at Ripken Stadium last week expired by the time they arrived at a lab. A Harford County Health Department spokesperson told WJZ-TV that the agency’s primary laboratory experienced a COVID-19 outbreak, so the test samples were sent to a backup lab instead. But the samples had expired before they got there. (1/17)

KHN: Officials Struggle To Regulate Pop-Up Covid Testing Sites — And Warn Patients To Beware 
In recent months, mobile covid-19 testing tents and vans have sprouted on urban sidewalks and street curbs as demand has skyrocketed in response to the rapid spread of the omicron variant. Some of the sites run by private companies offer legitimate, timely and reliable results, but others are more like weeds. High demand and scarce supply opened the door to bad actors, and officials in some states are having a hard time keeping up their oversight amid the proliferation. (Andrews, 1/18)

Axios: Medicare Advantage Enrollment Soars Almost 9% 
More than 28.5 million seniors and people with disabilities were enrolled in a private Medicare Advantage plan as of Jan. 1, an 8.8% increase from the same time in 2021, according to new federal data analyzed by Axios. Enrollment in the controversial MA program continues to grow, and based on prior full-year trends, enrollment in 2022 likely will surpass the federal government's prediction of 29.5 million people. (Herman, 1/18)

Fierce Healthcare: MedPAC: Majority Of Medicare Beneficiaries To Be On MA By 2023, But Coding Issues Remain Rampant 
Most Medicare beneficiaries in Parts A and B are expected to be enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans by next year, but spending on the plans is going to continue to outpace traditional fee-for-service, a congressional advisory panel found. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), a panel that makes recommendations to Congress on Medicare policy, released new findings Friday on the program, which has surged in popularity in recent years. It also continues to raise alarms over practices plans have done such as upcoding that have increased Medicare spending. (King, 1/14)

CNBC: Medicare Needs Your Attention At Age 65 Even If You're Still Working
It’s not just retirees who need to think about Medicare. Anyone who plans to keep working when they reach the eligibility age of 65 should evaluate how — or if — Medicare will fit into their health-care coverage. ... One of those exceptions is having qualifying insurance through your employer. Yet not all workplace coverage counts. And getting it wrong could cost you down the road. (O'Brien, 1/15)

The Motley Fool: Already Hate Your Medicare Plan? Here's What To Do 
It's a new year, and for some seniors, that could mean a new Medicare plan. If you made changes to your coverage during this past fall's open-enrollment period, you might be looking at a whole new set of health benefits for 2022. But Medicare changes don't always work out. It could be the case that you decided to swap your old coverage for a new plan, only to realize early on in the year that it's just not working out. (Backman, 1/17)

In other health care industry news —

Axios: Transplants Rebound From COVID Lull 
More than 41,000 Americans underwent an organ transplant in 2021, a new record and a 6% increase from 2020, when the pandemic caused a slight slowdown of the life-saving procedures. There are more transplant patients than ever, and they are particularly vulnerable to the worst effects of COVID because of their compromised immune systems — although vaccines provide important protection. (Herman, 1/18)

Modern Healthcare: Johns Hopkins Study Names Health Systems That Provide The Most 'Unnecessary' Care
About 11% of the nation's health systems are big-time over-utilizers of low-value services, according to a Johns Hopkins University study published in JAMA on Friday. Health systems that employ fewer primary care physicians, have higher bed counts or are investor-owned are associated with more unneeded care, researchers at Johns Hopkins' medical and public health schools found. Unnecessary procedures, tests and screenings are linked to lower quality of care and worse patient and worker safety, and drive up healthcare costs. Among the top over-users were St. Dominic Health Services of Jackson, Mississippi, Irving, Texas-based USMD Health System, Community Medical Centers of Clovis, California, and Providence, Rhode Island-based Care New England Health System, according to the study. (Gillespie, 1/14)

The Wall Street Journal: Unilever Sets Out Ambition To Expand In Health Products
Unilever said it wants to push further into health, beauty and hygiene products at the expense of slower-growing food brands, laying out its biggest strategic shift in years after disclosing a $68 billion approach for GlaxoSmithKline's consumer-health business. The maker of Dove soap and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream said Monday that buying GSK Consumer Healthcare, which sells everything from Aquafresh toothpaste to Advil painkillers, would be accompanied by significant divestitures as it looks to rejigger its portfolio toward higher-growth categories. (Chaudhuri, 1/17)

And the 'Pharma Bro' is banned from the pharmaceutical industry —

CNBC: Martin Shkreli Banned From Drug Industry In Pharmaceutical Monopoly Case
A federal judge on Friday ordered notorious “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli banned for life from the pharmaceutical industry and also ruled that he must disgorge $64.6 million in profits he earned from hiking the price of the life-saving drug Daraprim by more than 5,000% overnight. The ruling in U.S. District Court in Manhattan came in response to a lawsuit alleging illegal and monopolistic behavior connected with Daraprim by Shkreli, who is currently incarcerated for a securities fraud conviction. (Mangan, 1/14)

CIDRAP: US Flu Markers Show Slight Declines In Activity
The nation's flu activity showed small signs of decline last week, but levels are still elevated, with circulation expected to continue for several more weeks, the CDC said today in its latest weekly update, which covers last week. The percentage of doctor's visits for flulike illness declined from 4.8% to 4.3% last week, with the current level still above the national baseline. The CDC notes that other respiratory viruses are circulating, contributing to the overall respiratory illness picture. (1/14)

Bloomberg: Common Flu’s Strong Return In Europe Slows In Early 2022 
Influenza’s stronger-than-expected comeback in Europe lost steam in the first week of the year, easing worries about a potential double whammy with Covid-19. The number of flu cases in European intensive care units more than halved to 19 between Jan. 3 and 9, from the peak seen in the last days of December, according to the latest data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. France, Sweden and the United Kingdom were the only countries with confirmed cases in ICU wards. (Anghel, 1/17)

Politico: Moderna Hopes To Market Combined COVID And Flu Booster In 2023 
Moderna hopes to market a combined booster vaccination for COVID-19, influenza and RSV — a common respiratory virus — as soon as the fall of 2023, CEO Stéphane Bancel said Monday. Bancel, speaking on a panel at the World Economic Forum, said the combination vaccine would enable people to get broad protection against illnesses caused by respiratory viruses ahead of the winter infectious season without having to obtain multiple jabs. (Busvine, 1/17)

In pediatric news —

CNBC: Covid Could Be Turning Kids Into 'Fussy Eaters' Due To Loss Of Smell
Children who have recovered from Covid-19 may experience a distorted sense of smell afterward, which could affect the foods they will eat, according to experts in the U.K. “Parosmia” — when people experience strange and often unpleasant smell distortions — is relatively common after a Covid infection, with 250,000 adults in the U.K. estimated to have suffered parosmia as a result of having the coronavirus. Experts say it could be a reason why children who have recovered from Covid might find it hard to eat foods they once loved. (Ellyatt, 1/18)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Philadelphia Children Appear To Be Gaining Weight Which Could Make Their COVID Symptoms Worse
Philadelphia pediatricians are seeing substantial weight gain in many young patients due to pandemic stress and lockdowns. Those extra pounds mean that if the children get COVID-19, they’re more like to get sicker than their leaner friends. The city doesn’t keep data on children’s weight the way it does on COVID cases and hospitalizations. But pediatricians at three medical centers in the city are seeing a situation that matches national trends. Rates of pediatric weight gain doubled over the course of the pandemic, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study of more than 400,000 children between ages 2 and 19 released in September. That was similar to weight gain in adults. Children who were already obese or overweight when the pandemic started tended to see the biggest gains. (Laughlin, 1/18)

Fox News: Early-Aging Disorder Claims Life Of Young, Beloved Social Media Star Adalia Rose
Although many hope to discover the fountain of youth, there’s actually a gene that does the opposite, as social media sensation Adalia Rose Williams of Austin, Texas, shared with the world through her rare genetic disorder that accelerates the appearance of aging, according to her Instagram page, which noted she died recently at age 15. "January 12, 2022 at 7pm Adalia Rose Williams was set free from this world. She came into it quietly and left quietly, but her life was far from it. She touched MILLIONS of people and left the biggest imprint in everyone that knew her. She is no longer in pain and is now dancing away to all the music she loves," the post said in part. (Sudhakar, 1/16)

In other public health news —

Philadelphia Inquirer: Thousands Of Gallons Of Toxic Phenol Reportedly Spilled This Week At A Philly Chemical Plant
A worker failed to shut off a valve Thursday at the AdvanSix plant in Philadelphia and up to 2,000 gallons of phenol spilled, with some possibly entering the sewer system, according to a police report. The incident occurred at about 4:20 a.m. on the 2500 block of Bridge Street. The fire department responded, but did not call for an evacuation. No one was injured. Phenol can be toxic to humans. The company’s Frankford plant is one of the largest producers of phenol in North America. The chemical is used in the manufacturing of nylon polymer for carpet fibers, plastics, and films, according to the company’s website. (Kummer, 1/14)

Fox News: Trust Your Gut When It Comes To Sugar, Study Says
If your gut is telling you the difference between real sugar and an artificial sweetener, it may be right, according to a Duke study published recently in Nature Neuroscience.  Around the time the taste receptors were discovered 20 years ago, scientists tried to eliminate the taste buds in mice, but were surprised the mice not only could tell the difference between natural and artificial sugar, but they even preferred real sugar over the artificial sweeteners, despite having no sense of taste, according to the Duke press release. (Sudhakar, 1/16)

The Boston Globe: Real Estate Developer Reneges On Multimillion-Dollar Pledge To Harvard-Led Covid Project 
A financially troubled Chinese real-estate developer has reneged on a major pledge to Harvard University, leaving a shortfall of millions of dollars for a major COVID-19 research effort involving hundreds of experts from academia and industry across Massachusetts. This is the second multimillion-dollar gift to Harvard that China Evergrande Group has struggled to deliver in recent years, and it also follows a disappointing hospital venture that the company launched with Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital. (Ostriker and Fernandes, 1/17)

In updates from Georgia —

Valdosta Daily Times: Ga. Bills Focus On Inmate Mental Health
Amid an investigation into conditions inside Georgia prisons, launched in September, state lawmakers are taking steps to mitigate issues in the state's embattled corrections systems. Democrat Rep. Sandra Scott filed three bills that aim to address inmate mental health challenges. An estimated 30 inmates died by suicide in 2020 and leaders say untreated mental health in inmates can often cause them to commit other crimes while in confinement. Scott's H.B. 853 would allow anyone eligible for public mental health services due to a previous diagnosis or previously eligible for SSDI benefits to petition for a sentence that includes mental health treatment. (Ashley, 1/16)

Georgia Health News: What The Kemp Budget Has For Health Care — And What It Doesn’t
Extending Medicaid coverage for women who have given birth. Higher pay for physicians serving Georgia’s poor. More money for rural health care. In many ways, health care is getting a boost in Gov. Brian Kemp’s budget. Kemp’s proposed budget envisions a record $30.2 billion in state spending next year. The highest-profile items include $5,000 pay raises for state employees, $2,000 bonuses for teachers, and a $1.6 billion tax refund for Georgians. (Miller, 1/16)

In other news from across the U.S. —

AP: Indiana Lawmakers Consider Easing Of Nursing School Rules
A proposed loosening of Indiana’s regulations on nursing education programs is advancing in the Legislature, with supporters saying the step is needed to help address a statewide nursing shortage. Hospital officials and health care organizations supporting the proposal have told legislators that thousands of nursing jobs are open across the state in a shortage exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic as some nurses have quit or taken part-time jobs, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported. (1/17)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Children's Wisconsin In Wauwatosa To Add Walk-In Mental Health Clinic
 A new mental health walk-in clinic for children is set to open soon at Children's Wisconsin. The clinic, which is the first of its kind for children in the Milwaukee area, will serve as a tool for children experiencing urgent mental and behavioral health needs. Amy Herbst, vice president of mental and behavioral health at Children’s Wisconsin, is hoping the clinic will open in February. "It really came from families telling us that they needed a place to go for immediate mental health care," Herbst said. (Casey, 1/14)

AP: Seventh Grader Dies After Apparent Fentanyl Overdose At School In Connecticut 
A 13-year-old boy who apparently overdosed on the opioid fentanyl while in school died on Saturday, Connecticut police said. The seventh-grade student from the Sports and Medical Science Academy in Hartford had been hospitalized since Thursday morning. (1/17)

NPR: Hackers Disrupt Payroll For Thousands Of Employers — Including Hospitals
A month-old ransomware attack is still causing administrative chaos for millions of people, including 20,000 public transit workers in the New York City metro area, public service workers in Cleveland, employees of FedEx and Whole Foods, and medical workers across the country who were already dealing with an omicron surge that has filled hospitals and exacerbated worker shortages. In the weeks since the attack knocked out Kronos Private Cloud — a service that includes some of the nation's most popular workforce management software — employees from Montana to Florida have reported paychecks short by hundreds or thousands of dollars, as their employers have struggled to manage schedules and track hours without the help of the Kronos software. (Sullivan, 1/15)

Financial Times: Tonga Volcano Relief Effort Complicated By ‘Covid-Free’ Policy
Humanitarian efforts to assist Tonga after a volcanic eruption are being complicated by the South Pacific nation’s determination to keep Covid-19 at bay. ... The Tongan government is expected to formally request assistance from the international community on Tuesday once the full extent of the disaster, which has claimed at least one life, has been assessed. But the government has also stressed the need to retain its virtually Covid-free status. Tonga was one of the last countries in the world to record a case of Covid-19 after a traveler from New Zealand tested positive while in quarantine in October, triggering a national lockdown. It remains the only confirmed case in the country. (Fildes, 1/18)

The New York Times: An Island Nation Covered in Ash Now Worries About a Covid Intrusion
Throughout Polynesia, a region of around 1,000 islands spread across the Southern Pacific, disease delivered by outsiders is a theme that runs through hundreds of years of history. Regular contact with Europe’s colonizing forces came relatively late to places like Tonga, but with devastating impact. Epidemics of measles, dysentery and influenza, carried in by Europeans, devastated island communities all over the South Pacific. (Cave, 1/18)

In vaccine updates around the globe —

AP: COVID Program Delivers 1 Billion Doses To Poorer Countries 
The World Health Organization said Sunday that a U.N.-backed program shipping coronavirus vaccines to many poor countries has now delivered 1 billion doses, but that milestone “is only a reminder of the work that remains” after hoarding and stockpiling in rich countries. A shipment of 1.1 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Rwanda on Saturday included the billionth dose supplied via the COVAX program, the U.N. health agency said. (1/16)

Stat: U.S. Would Seek Global Approach To Updating Covid Vaccines, Official Says
If the Food and Drug Administration decides to update Covid-19 vaccines to take better aim at Omicron or other variants, it is unlikely to go it alone. Instead, a senior FDA official told STAT, the agency expects to take part in an internationally coordinated program aimed at deciding if, when, and how to update Covid-19 vaccines. The approach would ensure decisions are not left solely to individual vaccine manufacturers. (Branswell, 1/18)

CNBC: Thailand's Baiya Phytopharm Working On Plant-Based Covid Vaccine
Thailand’s Baiya Phytopharm wants to develop the country’s first plant-based Covid vaccine. The start-up, founded by Dr. Suthira Taychakhoonavudh and Dr. Waranyoo Phoolcharoen in 2018, has been working on a vaccine using the leaves of an Australian tobacco plant. Suthira, a 37-year-old lecturer at Chulalongkorn University, told CNBC’s “Managing Asia” that she and her team of scientists want to “make a difference” in changing Thailand from a vaccine importer to a vaccine maker. (Tan, 1/17)

In other global covid developments —

AP: Abu Dhabi Requires Booster Shots To Enter The Emirate 
Facing a nationwide surge in coronavirus cases fueled by the spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant, Abu Dhabi is requiring people entering the city to show proof of booster shots. The government’s health app said earlier this week that people entering the capital of the United Arab Emirates must show a “green pass,” confirming their vaccination status. The app says that visitors are no longer considered fully vaccinated unless they have received a booster at least six months after their second dose. (1/18)

AP: In Greece, Unvaccinated People 60 And Up Face Monthly Fines 
Greece imposed a vaccination mandate Monday for people 60 and older as a spike in infections has put sustained pressure on Greek hospitals, where most of the seriously ill patients belong to that age group. Older people failing to get vaccinated will face penalties, starting at a 50-euro ($57) fine in January and followed by a monthly fine of 100 euros ($114) after that. (Gatopoulos, 1/17)

AP: Hong Kong To Cull 2,000 Hamsters As Some Test COVID-Positive
Hong Kong authorities said Tuesday that they will cull some 2,000 hamsters after several of the rodents tested positive for the virus at a pet store where an infected employee was working. Officials said they would also stop the sale and import of the rodents in the city. The move came after the pet shop employee tested positive for the delta variant on Monday. Several of the hamsters tested positive for the coronavirus as well. (Soo, 1/18)

Bloomberg: Covid-19 Infected Lions Prompt Variant Warning In South Africa
Lions and pumas at a zoo in the South African capital of Pretoria got severe Covid-19 from asymptomatic zoo handlers, raising concerns that new variants could emerge from animal reservoirs of the disease, studies carried out by a local university showed. A 2020 study of feces from two pumas that had had diarrhea, nasal discharge and anorexia showed the animals had Covid-19 and made a full recovery after 23 days, the University of Pretoria said in a statement on Tuesday. A year later, in the midst of South Africa’s delta-variant-driven third wave, three lions, one of which had pneumonia, tested positive for the coronavirus. (Sguazzin and Bonorchis, 1/18)

Los Angeles Times: When An Asymptomatic, COVID-Positive Doctor Is Still Treating Patients, We're Losing A War 
I’ve been dodging COVID since March 2020. Back then, I would have been appalled at having asymptomatic doctors and nurses infected with COVID treating patients, which state officials now say is permissible. Now I see this as a necessity. We’re losing this war. (Mark Morocco, 1/15)

The Atlantic: The COVID-Risk Social Contract Is Under Negotiation 
“Three people walk into a bar …” What once launched a thousand jokes now sends a frisson of anxiety. What’s their vaccination status? Are they masked? Did they test before going out? (Jonathan Wolff, 1/17)

Bloomberg: What Will It Take To Vaccinate The World?
You’re a veteran advocate for global health, vaccines and tropical-disease control, and served as a U.S. science envoy during the Obama administration. You’ve now developed a low-cost Covid-19 vaccine, Corbevax, using a tried-and-tested method. It’s a recombinant protein vaccine, which means it should be easy to scale. The technology will be available for anyone to reproduce. How do you expect it to contribute to global vaccination efforts? (Clara Ferreira Marques, 1/17)

The Washington Post: After A Supreme Court Setback, There Are Other Ways To Pursue Vaccine Mandates 
The Supreme Court’s ruling that President Biden’s vaccine mandate was an overreach, beyond the powers given to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration by Congress, should be an impetus for others who do have the authority to push ahead with vaccine mandates. Congress ought to explicitly authorize federal vaccine mandates. It’s now clear, from a year’s experience, that vaccines prevent serious disease, and mandates work to get more people vaccinated. (1/16)

NBC News: Covid Test Anxiety Has Upped The Pandemic Misery, And Resurfaced My Infertility Trauma
I kept staring at the single pink line on the test and squinting. Did I see another line? Please, let there be another line! I’d been waiting for a second line forever, for the indication that I finally had a positive test. Oh, no, wait. Hold on a minute, I had to remind myself. Although the test looked exactly the same with its blue and pink lines — one for negative and two for positive — and I was still waiting with apprehension for a second line to show up, this was not a pregnancy test. (Amy Klein, 1/15)

The New York Times: The C.D.C. And F.D.A. Can Work Better Together 
At this difficult moment of the pandemic, a great deal of distress is the result of a basic disconnect. Even as Americans hear frightening news about record numbers of infections and hospitalizations, there is growing confusion about testing, booster doses and medications — the very tools we use to protect ourselves from Covid-19. (Joshua M. Sharfstein, 1/18)

Chicago Tribune: So Many Want To Predict COVID-19′S Trajectory. But The Virus Has Refused To Cooperate 
When it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic, it now seems that everybody is an expert, at least judging by the daily pronouncements from reporters, columnists, presidents, government officials, union officials, podcast hosts, quarterbacks, point guards, entertainers, Supreme Court justices, conspiracy theorists and anyone with a Twitter account. A bewildered public is carpet-bombed daily with statistics, predictions, mandates and advice — all delivered with supreme confidence. (Cory Franklin and Robert A. Weinstein, 1/14)

Newsweek: Unreliable COVID Tests Put Both Us And Science At Risk 
We already know that when it comes to COVID testing, the PCR test is not perfectly reliable, reporting false positives as well as false negatives. We also know that antigen testing is not entirely accurate either, with false negatives possible. But so far the antigen test has been considered the least likely to lead to a false positive. (Elizabeth Stone, 1/14)

The Baltimore Sun: Don’t Stop At A COVID Vaccine Mandate; Flu Shot Should Be Required, Too 
Is it time to have flu vaccination mandates? We certainly think so. As two emergency medicine physicians whose young careers have been defined by the race to develop lifesaving vaccines to thwart a pandemic, we can both attest to the importance of vaccinations. With flu season well underway, we believe that the annual flu vaccine deserves the same level of focus as the coronavirus pandemic. (Gregory Jasani and Shruti Gujaran, 1/17)

The Star Tribune: A Needed Push To Protect State's Infants 
Minnesota is admirably poised to take a pioneering step forward to help babies born with an underrecognized virus get the medical care they need. State Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm should heed the recent guidance from a key advisory committee and add congenital cytomegalovirus to the list of disorders screened for in a spot of blood taken from newborns' heels. (1/16)

Stat: U.S. Needs A Domestic Supply Chain For This And Future Pandemics 
At what point do the benefits of local production of medical supplies outweigh the potentially higher cost? The sudden and near-overwhelming demand for Covid-19 testing during the Omicron phase of the pandemic means that the U.S. is now at a critical point where we need better — and quicker — access to testing supplies via a domestic supply chain. Over the last three decades, the world’s economy has become increasingly globalized, resulting in lower inflation-adjusted prices for goods and products and improved standards of living around the world. The Covid-19 pandemic has provided an opportunity to once again debate the United States’ reliance on inexpensive overseas manufacturing, and reconsider the value of high-quality domestic production. (Jeff Fischer, 1/18)

CNN: Why This Modified Pig Heart Transplant Is A Huge Deal 
The news last week that David Bennett, a 57-year-old Maryland man, nearing death, had undergone cardiac transplant surgery with a genetically modified pig heart sent shock waves through the medical community and was hailed as a breakthrough in bioengineering, potentially ushering in a new era in solid organ transplantation. While our experience with this technology is still developing and much more research needs to be done, the operation and bravura science that made it possible provide a breathtaking glimpse into a future where patients will potentially spend days rather than months or years on a transplant list. (Jonathan Reiner, 1/15)

Modern Healthcare: It's Long Past Due To Provide Relief For ‘Double-Duty' Caregivers
For months from our respective vantage points in the healthcare system, we have pondered the cause of front-line workers leaving their jobs. According to a study published in October, 1 out of 5 healthcare workers has resigned or retired—and another 20% are considering leaving healthcare altogether. Early into a new year, we think it's time to do something about it. (Alexandra Drane and Carladenise Edwards, 1/14)

Stat: Big Biopharma Companies Should Rethink Federal Funding For R&D 
I have been negotiating with representatives of the federal government on behalf of biopharmaceutical companies since starting in private practice 15 years ago. It is often slow-going and complex. Covid-19 changed that: Never have I been so impressed by the government’s willingness to get deals done as I have been during the pandemic. In my experience, major pharmaceutical companies tend to resist federal funding for research and development, in part due to concerns around intellectual property (IP) and other rights the government would expect to receive in return. (Kristen Riemenschneider, 1/18)

The CT Mirror: Declaring Racism A Public Health Crisis: A Symbol That’s More Than Symbolic
“I have to tell you that as a person of color who has actually, firsthand received racism as normal [thing], – we would be remiss to say that things in this state are not racist,” said State Rep. Geraldo Reyes in his support of the recently passed House Bill 6662 declaring racism a public health crisis in Connecticut. Many of us agree that structural racism shapes the persistent healthcare disparity in contemporary America, yet some may speculate that the mere declaration of this fact is another political performance, a symbolic recognition of our social ill that will probably remain unsolved. In a skeptic’s enervated exasperation, they ask, “what good could a symbol do? As an aspiring public health professional, I, in my earnest hope and sincerest aspiration, strive to bring to light the significance of the successful passage of this bill. (Mary Peng, 1/18)