AP: FDA Halts Use Of Antibody Drugs That Don't Work Vs. Omicron
COVID-19 antibody drugs from Regeneron and Eli Lilly should no longer be used because they don’t work against the omicron variant that now accounts for nearly all U.S. infections, U.S. health regulators said Monday. The Food and Drug Administration said it was revoking emergency authorization for both drugs, which were purchased by the federal government and have been administered to millions of Americans with COVID-19. If the drugs prove effective against future variants, the FDA said it could reauthorize their use. (Perrone, 1/24)

The Hill: Biden Administration Limits Use Of Two Monoclonal Antibody Treatments
The agency said the therapies made by Eli Lilly and Regeneron should only be used in patients that have been infected with or exposed to a variant that is susceptible to the treatments.  "Because data show these treatments are highly unlikely to be active against the omicron variant, which is circulating at a very high frequency throughout the United States, these treatments are not authorized for use in any U.S. states, territories, and jurisdictions at this time," the FDA said. (Weixel, 1/24)

The Washington Post: FDA Ends For Now Use Of Two Monoclonal Antibodies, Spurring A Halt In Federal Shipments Of The Covid-19 Treatments - The Washington Post
As a result, the Department of Health and Human Services, which distributes covid treatments to states, notified state health officials that it has halted distribution of the antibody medications made by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly, according to an email sent to the states and obtained by The Washington Post. Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a statement that data show the two antibody treatments “are highly unlikely to be active against the omicron variant, which is circulating at a very high frequency throughout the United States.” Omicron is responsible for more than 99 percent of cases in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (McGinley, 1/24)

In related news from Florida and Maine —

CNN: Florida Shuts Down All Monoclonal Antibody Treatment Sites After FDA Decision To Limit Use Of Certain Treatments Not Proven Effective Against Omicron
Florida is closing its monoclonal antibody treatment sites, health officials announced late Monday, citing the US Food and Drug Administration's decision to limit the use of certain versions of the treatments that were found less effective against the now-dominant Omicron variant of coronavirus. "Unfortunately, as a result of this abrupt decision made by the federal government, all monoclonal antibody state sites will be closed until further notice," the Florida Department of Health said in a statement. More than 2,000 appointments for the treatment were canceled in the state on Tuesday alone, according to a statement from Gov. Ron DeSantis. (Boyette, 1/25)

Bangor Daily News: Maine’s Supply Of Omicron Treatment Will Almost Double After State Demands More From Feds
Maine’s weekly allocation of a drug vital to treating the omicron variant of COVID-19 will nearly double after Gov. Janet Mills asked the federal government for more of the life-saving drug. Maine will receive 120 doses of the monoclonal antibody sotrovimab, the only available monoclonal antibody known to fight off infections from the omicron variant, this week instead of the previously allocated 66, Mills’ office said Monday. The increase in doses came after Mills reached out to White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients over the weekend. She told him that Maine was not receiving an adequate number of doses for the cases it was seeing, her office said. (Marino Jr., 1/24)

The Washington Post: Lab Study Shows Omicron-Blocking Antibodies Persist Four Months After A Pfizer-BioNTech Booster 
Virus-fighting antibodies capable of blocking the omicron variant persist four months after a third shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, according to a new study. The study, which was published on a preprint server Saturday, gives a first hint about the durability of coronavirus vaccine protection, with a key line of immune defense remaining intact. The study has not yet been peer-reviewed and will need to be replicated and extended to a longer period. (Johnson, 1/24)

The Hill: Study Finds High Levels Of Omicron-Fighting Antibodies Four Months After Pfizer Booster
A new study shows high levels of coronavirus antibodies that fight the omicron variant four months after a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine, a positive sign for the durability of a booster shot’s effectiveness.  The study from researchers at Pfizer, BioNTech and the University of Texas Medical Branch shows virus-fighting antibodies enduring four months after the third dose, helping answer the key question of how long protection from the booster shot lasts.  (Sullivan, 1/24)

And Pfizer starts its clinical trial for an omicron-specific vaccine —

CNN: Pfizer And BioNTech Begin Clinical Trial For Omicron-Specific Vaccine
Pfizer and BioNTech have begun a clinical trial for their Omicron-specific Covid-19 vaccine candidate, they announced in a news release on Tuesday. The study will evaluate the vaccine for safety, tolerability and the level of immune response, as both a primary series and a booster dose, in up to 1,420 healthy adults ages 18 to 55. (Sealy, 1/25)

In more news about vaccines —

KHN: Pharmacies Are Turning Away Immunocompromised Patients Seeking 4th Covid Shot
Patients with weakened immune systems — who are at high risk from covid-19 — say pharmacies are turning them away when they seek additional vaccine doses recommended by federal health officials. Alyson Smith became eligible this month for a fourth vaccine dose because her medications leave her immunocompromised. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages most adults to receive a total of three mRNA vaccines — two “primary” vaccinations and a booster — the agency now advises people with weak immune systems to receive three primary shots plus a booster, for a total of four doses. (Szabo, 1/25)

Oklahoman: Fourth Dose Of COVID-19 Vaccine Available For Immunocompromised Oklahomans
Some immunocompromised Oklahomans may be eligible now for a COVID-19 booster dose, depending on when they had their last shot. In August, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that some immunocompromised people get a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at least 28 days after their second shot of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. For people in that group, a third dose is considered part of the primary vaccine series, said Dr. Gitanjali Pai, the chief medical officer with the Oklahoma Department of Health. (Branham, 1/25)

In other news about covid treatments —

Stat: It’s Too Early To Say CBD Helps Against Covid. Will That Stop CBD Makers?
The scientists stressed the caveats that early-stage research demands: the compounds they had studied showed hints — in cells in lab dishes and in animals — of being able to combat the coronavirus. Definite answers could only come from clinical trials. But the compounds were CBD and other marijuana and hemp derivatives, so the news took off. Kimmel and Colbert cracked jokes. The studies received coverage in outlets from Fox News to The Daily Beast. The latest hubbub is an example of both the promise of cannabinoids — components of cannabis — as potential therapies, but also the hype around them, which can far outpace the evidence that they work. (Florko and Joseph, 1/25)

The Washington Post: There’s A New Version Of Omicron But So Far It Doesn’t Appear To Be More Dangerous
As a new version of the highly contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus spreads in parts of Asia and Europe, the World Health Organization recommended Monday that officials begin investigating its characteristics to determine whether it poses new challenges for pandemic-weary nations. Known as BA. 2, the new version of the virus is a descendant of the omicron variant responsible for huge surges of covid-19 in the United States and elsewhere around the globe. Virologists are referring to the original omicron variant as BA. 1. (Bernstein, 1/24)

Newsweek: Stealth Omicron COVID Variant BA.2 That May Spread Faster Found In At Least 40 Countries
Labs in countries including Denmark and Norway have reported that the sub-variant has been gaining ground, accounting for nearly half of all COVID cases in the former as of January 20, marking a sharp increase in recent weeks. Virologists say that there is much to learn about BA.2, but it appears the sub-variant may have a transmission advantage over BA.1. (Browne, 1/24)

Fox News: Washington State Reports Two Cases Of Omicron Subvariant BA.2
A new subvariant of omicron that differs from the original variant in some mutations, including on the spike protein, has been detected in Washington state. "Two cases of BA.2, a subvariant of omicron, were detected earlier this month in Washington," a spokesperson for the Washington Department of Health told Fox News Digital on Monday. The spokesperson said that health officials do not have much information on the new subvariant, which has been reported in parts of Europe and Asia. (Best, 1/24)

Deseret News: Stealth Omicron Variant Symptoms: What We Know So Far 
Scientists are starting to express concern about a new omicron variant subvariant — nicknamed “stealth omicron” — that has accounted for more COVID-19 case numbers in recent weeks. The news: Over the weekend, multiple scientists started to talk about the new subvariants of the omicron variant, BA.2 and BA.3. ... There hasn’t been anything reported about unique omicron subvariant symptoms. So far, symptoms appear to be consistent with the omicron variant. (Scribner, 1/24)

The New York Times: How Omicron's Mutations Allow It To Thrive 
As nurses and doctors struggle with a record-breaking wave of Omicron cases, evolutionary biologists are engaged in a struggle of their own: figuring out how this world-dominating variant came to be. When the Omicron variant took off in southern Africa in November, scientists were taken aback by its genetic makeup. Whereas earlier variants had differed from the original Wuhan version of the coronavirus by a dozen or two mutations, Omicron had 53 — a shockingly large jump in viral evolution. (Zimmer, 1/24)

In related news about omicron —

CIDRAP: WHO Chief Warns Conditions Ripe For More COVID-19 Variants
At a briefing to the World Health Organization (WHO) executive board today, its director-general warned that conditions remain ideal for new variants to emerge and that countries have the power to change the drivers of the pandemic. (Schnirring, 1/24)

The New York Times: Omicron Offers Hope Pandemic Could Stabilize, W.H.O. Official Says
The astonishing spread of the Omicron variant could help set the stage for the pandemic to transition from overwhelming to manageable in Europe this year, a top health official said on Monday, potentially offering the world a glimpse at how countries can ease restrictions while keeping the virus at bay. That hint of hope came with a heavy dose of caution: Immunity from the surge of infections will probably wane, and new variants are likely to emerge, leaving the world vulnerable to surges that could strain health systems. In the United States, where vaccination rates are lower and death rates are considerably higher than in Western Europe, there are bigger hurdles on the path to taming the pandemic. (Mueller and Santora, 1/24)

In other research on omicron —

Reuters: Omicron Survives Longer On Plastic, Skin Than Prior Variants
The Omicron variant can survive longer than earlier versions of the coronavirus on plastic surfaces and human skin, Japanese researchers found in laboratory tests. Its high "environmental stability" - its ability to remain infectious - might have helped Omicron replace Delta as the dominant variant and spread rapidly, they said. ... On skin, all of the variants were completely inactivated by 15 seconds of exposure to alcohol-based hand sanitizers. (1/24)

San Francisco Chronicle: COVID In California: Omicron Appears To Kill Faster Than Other Coronavirus Strains, L.A. Data Shows
Los Angeles County data suggests that the highly infectious omicron variant strikes down its patients quicker than previous strains of the coronavirus, according to Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. The county last Thursday recorded 102 fatalities, the highest tally since March 2021. Ferrer said patients with omicron on average appear to be dying within 2-4 weeks after requiring hospitalization, compared with an average of 5 weeks observed with the delta variant. “It looks to us that folks may be progressing faster — folks who have omicron — so we’re seeing a much shorter timeframe,” from infection to death, said Ferrer. “It looks like they get hit pretty hard earlier on.” (Vaziri and Beamish, 1/24)

Los Angeles Times: L.A. County Seeing More Fatalities From Omicron
Deaths from COVID-19 in Los Angeles County have soared over the last week, with officials saying most of the recent fatalities appear to be from the Omicron variant. The spread of the latest coronavirus variant has moved with unprecedented speed since December, although officials have said people who get infected with Omicron generally get less severe symptoms than with the earlier Delta variant. Even so, officials say it is fatal for some. Of 102 deaths reported Thursday — the highest single-day tally since March 10 — 90% involved people who became ill with COVID-19 after Christmas, and 80% were among those who fell ill after New Year’s Day, indicating a high likelihood of Omicron infection, Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said. (Lin II, Money and Alpert Reyes, 1/24)

In more news about the spread of covid —

AP: 6th Michigan Hospital To Get Federal Medical Team Amid Surge 
A sixth Michigan hospital will receive staffing assistance from a federal medical team to help treat COVID-19 patients during the latest surge, state health officials said Monday. Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, where 100% of beds were occupied as of Monday, will be supported by as many as 25 additional personnel for 30 days starting Feb. 7, the state health department said. Teams already are in place at hospitals in Dearborn, Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Saginaw and Wyandotte. (Eggert, 1/24)

Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio National Guard Arrives To Assist UC Medical Center With COVID-19 Surge
Another 70 Ohio National Guard troops arrived Monday to help University of Cincinnati Medical Center staff during the latest COVID-19 hospitalization surge. The troops are among those Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine sent to the state's hospitals to help healthcare staff during the barrage of COVID-19 cases triggered by the omicron variant. The addition of Guard members at UC Health's Corryville facility comes days after a group arrived at Christ Hospital Health System in Mount Auburn. (DeMio, 1/24)

AP: Crisis Standards Activated For Southern Idaho Health Systems 
Idaho public health officials activated crisis standards of care for much of southern Idaho on Monday, citing major staffing and blood supply shortages. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare activated the crisis standards for the southwest, central and south central health districts, which encompass 18 counties including the Boise, Nampa and Twin Falls metro regions. Crisis standards of care allow hospitals to triage health care as needed when they don’t have the capacity to deal with patient influxes. (Boone, 1/24)

Anchorage Daily News: Anchorage ICU Space Limited As Alaska Reports 21 COVID-19 Deaths And Rising Hospitalizations
Alaska’s largest hospital on Monday reported no available intensive care beds as the state’s health care system grapples with growing pressure from the ongoing COVID-19 surge linked to the highly contagious omicron variant. State health officials on Monday also reported 21 more deaths in Alaskans with COVID-19, three of them recent. Generally, the variant is thought to lead to less severe infections but its impact is being felt in health care worker absences compromising Alaska’s hospital capacity, as well as continued illness, long-term complications, and death. (Hollander, 1/24)

In related news —

CIDRAP: Study: Mental Health Visits Increased For Physicians During Pandemic
A new Canadian study shows visits for mental health and substance abuse problems by physicians increased 27% during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study is published in JAMA Network Open. The study was based on mental health and substance use outpatient records of 34,055 practicing physicians in Ontario, Canada. The number of visits per 1,000 physicians increased by 27% during the first year of the pandemic, and the absolute proportion of physicians with one or more mental health and substance use visits increased to 13.4% during the first year of the pandemic, compared with 12.3% in the prior year. (1/24)

Post-Tribune: Hospital Chaplains Remain Family Link As COVID-19 Pandemic Closes In On 2-Year Mark: ‘It Takes A Toll ... On Us And On One Another’ 
When the Rev. Dale Cudjoe looks back on his workday as a chaplain for Methodist Hospitals he says knowing he maybe was able to help one person through this tough time keeps him going. “It’s just a joy knowing I’m making a difference in somebody’s day. I mean just the fact we are able to help somebody makes it all worth it. If I can help somebody, if I can cheer somebody, then my living won’t be in vain. If I help one person it’s worth it,” Cudjoe said. (Napoleon, 1/23)

The Washington Post: They Had Covid-19 Once. Then, They Got It Again
For the past two Christmases, Ana Siqueira has received the same unwanted gift: covid-19. And so has her husband.The one-two punch they experienced underscores the coronavirus’s staying power and ability to crack through the body’s defenses. The first time Siqueira got the virus, one of her sons was isolating with covid at home, and Siqueira hadn’t been vaccinated. But the second time, Siqueira, 57, a children’s book author and Spanish teacher from Palm Harbor, Fla., had checked all the boxes. (Rizzo, 1/24)

KLKN-TV: Bryan Health Says Ivermectin, Other COVID Misinformation Still A Problem 
There are several questionable methods out there to treat your COVID-19, the latest coming from a North Carolina Lawmaker, saying milk and Benadryl will do the trick. But experts are warning against that and other misinformation circulating. “I haven’t seen the exact recipe of like how much Benadryl people are talking about taking and so luckily probably not overly harmful but no clear evidence of benefit,” Dr. Kevin Reichmuth, a Pulmonary Critical Care Specialist, with Bryan Health said. (Skonieski, 1/22)

AFP: How Vaccine Misinformation Left US Children Vulnerable To Omicron Variant Of Covid
From worries that the shots were developed too quickly, to false claims that the jabs can impact future fertility, physician Wassim Ballan of Phoenix Children's Hospital said combating misinformation has become part of his job. "Unfortunately, a lot of times when we're having this time with a family to discuss these things is when the child is already in hospital," he said of the problem. (1/22)

The Washington Post: How Robert Malone, Vaccine Scientist Spreading Misinformation, Was Embraced By Joe Rogan, Anti-Vaxxers 
As Robert Malone stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial before thousands of anti-vaccine and anti-mandate demonstrators Sunday, the medical doctor and infectious-disease researcher repeated the falsehoods that have garnered him legions of followers. “Regarding the genetic covid vaccines, the science is settled,” he said in a 15-minute speech that referenced the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy. “They are not working.” (Bella, 1/24)

WOODTV.com: Sherriff’s Office: Robbers Are Not Giving Out Knock-Out Masks 
A post circulating on social media warning about people giving out face masks that will knock you out is false, Kalamazoo officials say. A post seen on social media claims people are going door to door giving out COVID-19 masks. The post claims chemicals on the masks will knock homeowners out so that the people can then rob them. (Buursma, 1/24)

In related news about misinformation —

CNN: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Invokes Nazi Germany In Offensive Anti-Vaccine Speech 
At a rally against vaccine mandates in Washington, DC, on Sunday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. likened vaccine policies in the US to the actions of a totalitarian state, even suggesting Anne Frank was in a better situation when she was hiding from the Nazis. "Even in Hitler Germany (sic), you could, you could cross the Alps into Switzerland. You could hide in an attic, like Anne Frank did," said Kennedy, a prominent anti-vaccine advocate, in a speech at the Lincoln Memorial. "I visited, in 1962, East Germany with my father and met people who had climbed the wall and escaped, so it was possible. Many died, true, but it was possible." (Fortinsky and Graef, 1/24)

USA Today: Neil Young Demands Spotify Remove His Music Due To Its Vaccine Misinfo
Rock legend Neil Young wants Spotify to remove his music in response to the spread of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation on the platform. In an open letter to his manager Frank Gironda and Tom Corson, co-chairman and chief operating officer of Warner Bros. Records on Monday, Young demanded his classic collection of songs be pulled due to the disinformation, and specifically called out Spotify's popular podcast host Joe Rogan. "I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines – potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them," Young said. "Please act on this immediately today and keep me informed of the time schedule. (Collins, 1/24)

Los Angeles Times: Coronavirus Test Provider Says It Plans To Sue L.A. County Sheriff Villanueva Over China Claims
The company that provides Los Angeles County with coronavirus testing said it plans to sue Sheriff Alex Villanueva for defamation over claims the sheriff made alleging the company has links to the Chinese government. Fulgent Genetics, the Temple City company contracted to administer tests and track the vaccination status of county employees, alleged that Villanueva orchestrated a briefing with FBI agents a day after Thanksgiving “in a last-ditch effort” to avoid complying with the county’s employee vaccine mandate, according to papers the company’s lawyers filed in court Friday. After the briefing, Villanueva claimed in a letter to elected county officials that FBI agents had called the meeting to warn him about Fulgent. The Times obtained a copy of the letter the same day Villanueva sent it. (Tchekmedyian, 1/24)

CIDRAP: Black Adults Outpace White Peers In Accepting COVID Vaccine 
A pair of new US studies late last week in JAMA Network Open shed new light on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, finding that reluctance to get vaccinated fell faster among Black than White Americans and revealing a link between depression and vulnerability to vaccine misinformation. ... When the study began, about 38% of Black and 28% of White participants were vaccine-hesitant, but by June, 26% of Black and 27% of White participants were reluctant. Similarly, the belief that the vaccines were necessary rose more among Black than White participants in March and April. (Van Beusekom, 1/24)

CNN: Here's how to get free N95 masks from pharmacies or community health centers
The rollout of free N95 masks for the public began this week across the United States, with some pharmacies already handing out the masks and other expecting to do so in the coming days. The program is part of the Biden administration's effort to distribute 400 million free N95 masks from the Strategic National Stockpile via pharmacies and community health centers. The program is expected to be fully up and running by early February. The masks are arriving at their destinations with accompanying flyers and signage from the US Department of Health and Human Services, which paid for the masks. (Howard, 1/25)

NBC News: Free N95 Masks Arriving At Pharmacies And Stores Around The Country
Masks are expected to begin arriving at Southeastern Grocers locations as early as Friday, and they will be available at the company's Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie in-store pharmacies. A spokesperson for Walgreens told NBC Chicago that the chain expects to start giving out masks at some locations by Friday, as well. "Participating stores will have signage indicating mask availability," the spokesperson said. (Gregorian and Egan, 1/24)

Detroit Free Press: Meijer Customers Can Receive Free N95 Masks
Metro Detroit Meijer stores as well as those across the Midwest are participating in the federal free N95 mask program from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Grand Rapids-based chain announced Monday that it is providing free N95 masks to customers who need them. Meijer received about 3 million masks from the program, according to a news release. The N95 masks will be on a table near the grocery entrance and greeter stand. A Meijer greeter, who will be wearing gloves, will arrange the masks in piles of three for customers to take. (Selasky, 1/24)

NBC Chicago: Walgreens Gives New Look At Timing For Free N95 Masks 
Walgreens is preparing to begin distributing free N95 masks this week, but when exactly can customers expect to be able to get one and how will they know which stores have them? ... "We expect the first stores to begin offering masks on Friday, January 28 and will continue on a rolling basis in the days and weeks following," a spokesperson for the company told NBC 5 in a statement. "Participating stores will have signage indicating mask availability." (1/24)

Also —

Axios: Axios-Ipsos Poll: Biden's Free COVID Tests And Masks Are Popular, But They're Not Helping Him 
Two new Biden administration initiatives — mailing at-home COVID-19 tests to those who ask and making free N95 masks available — are hugely popular, each backed by 84% of Americans in the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index. Those who may need these most — the unvaccinated — are less likely to take advantage of the offerings, the survey found. And neither has boosted President Biden's numbers so far, meaning it's too little too late, or too soon to see a change. (Talev, 1/25)

The Wall Street Journal: New York Mask Mandate Struck Down By Judge 
A Long Island judge struck down New York state’s indoor mask mandate Monday, saying health officials needed approval from the legislature for a December rule requiring face coverings in schools, transit hubs and other indoor settings. State Supreme Court Justice Thomas Rademaker ruled in Nassau County that Health Commissioner Mary Bassett didn’t have the authority to issue an emergency regulation last year requiring masks in indoor settings. Dr. Bassett’s masking rules were issued after Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency amid rising Covid-19 infections on Nov. 26. (Vielkind, 1/24)

AP: State Judge Overturns NY Mask Mandate
The mandate “is a law that was promulgated and enacted unlawfully by an executive branch state agency, and therefore void and unenforceable,” the judge said. The state had initially instituted a mask mandate in April 2020 that ended in June 2021 for vaccinated individuals; Hochul announced in mid-December that it would go back into effect for at least a month. Earlier this month, the state health department said the mandate would be in place until Feb 1. (1/25)

The Washington Post: New York Seeks To Save Mask Mandate, Appeal State Supreme Court Justice’s Ruling 
The State Supreme Court is not New York’s top judicial body and Justice Thomas Rademaker's ruling can be appealed. Gov. Hochul said in a statement that she disagreed with the decision and that her office would pursue “every option” to reverse it. “My responsibility as Governor is to protect New Yorkers throughout this public health crisis, and these measures help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and save lives,” she said. (1/25)

In other mask mandate news from Nebraska, Virginia and Florida —

AP: Youngkin Faces New Lawsuit As Virginia Mask Order Kicks In
Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin was facing a new legal challenge over his executive action that aimed to let parents opt out of school mask mandates as his order took effect Monday but was ignored by some districts. Youngkin issued the order as one of his first acts after being sworn in as governor Jan. 15, and confusion has swirled over the implications since then. Some districts have interpreted the order as being at odds with a state law that deals with COVID-19 mitigation in schools and have opted to keep pre-existing mask mandates in place for students. (Rankin and Barakat, 1/24)

AP: Judge Hears Arguments In Case Challenging Omaha Mask Mandate 
A Nebraska judge could decide as early as Monday afternoon whether to overturn a new Omaha mask mandate that’s opposed by state officials. Douglas County District Court Judge Shelly Stratman said in a court hearing that she will rule on the matter by the end of the day or noon Tuesday at the latest. (1/24)

The Palm Beach Post: Five Teachers Booted From Jupiter School For Refusing To Wear Masks
Five teachers were sent home from Limestone Creek Elementary last week for refusing to wear masks on campus, a school district spokeswoman confirmed. The teachers were instructed to leave campus Thursday for violating the Palm Beach County School District’s mask policy, which requires all employees and visitors to wear facial coverings while indoors on campus. State law prohibits mask requirements for students. (Marra, 1/24)

Los Angeles Times: California School Kids Must Get COVID Vaccine Under New Bill 
California students would be required to be immunized for COVID-19 under a bill introduced Monday, offering backup to districts such as L.A. Unified that have struggled with their own mandates while igniting familiar backlash from anti-vaccine activists and parents who say the state should not make medical decisions for their children. Senate Bill 871, by state Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), would add COVID-19 vaccines to California’s list of required inoculations for attending K-12 schools, which can be skipped only if a student receives a rare medical exemption. If passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor, the measure would supplant a more limited COVID-19 vaccine mandate for schools that was created by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year. (Gutierrez and Blume, 1/24)

The Boston Globe: More Than 94 Percent Of Boston City Workers Vaccinated, As Mayor Wu Extends Deadline For Showing Proof Of COVID Vaccine
The city of Boston will give its workforce one more week to get vaccinated against COVID-19 before employees are placed on unpaid leave, a temporary but noticeable concession in what has become an acrimonious dispute between Mayor Michelle Wu and several first responders unions. More than 94 percent of municipal employees are already complying with the mandate, Wu said Monday. (Platoff and Andersen, 1/24)

Fox News: Boston Patient Removed From Heart-Transplant List Because He’s Not Vaccinated Against COVID: Report
The parents of a 31-year-old in need of a heart transplant at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital said their son has been removed from the transplant list because he has not been vaccinated for COVID-19, according to a report. The hospital told CBS Boston that its policy is in line with other transplant programs in the U.S. that require the vaccine because it fits under the lifestyle behaviors of the candidates. The statement said it is the hospital’s goal to "create both the best chance for successful operation and also the patient’s survival after transplantation." David Ferguson, the father of the patient DJ Ferguson, told the station that his son was at the front of the line to receive the organ, but was removed because he refuses to take the vaccine. (DeMarche, 1/25)

KHN: With A Vaccine Mandate Looming, Nursing Homes Face More Staffing Problems 
Jamie Smith, a staffing agency nurse who loves end-of-life care, said she has been warmly welcomed by staffers and residents at Frontier Health & Rehabilitation in this conservative St. Louis suburb. That’s even though she has not been vaccinated against covid-19. But leaders of the nursing home, where 22 residents died from covid before vaccines were available, likely won’t be able to employ unvaccinated people like Smith for much longer. The U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 13 upheld a federal mandate requiring health care workers at facilities that receive Medicaid or Medicare funding to be fully vaccinated. If all staffers — excluding those with approved religious or medical exemptions — aren’t fully vaccinated, the facility will lose that money. (Berger, 1/25)

And Sarah Palin tests positive for covid after allegedly violating New York City's vaccine mandate —

The New York Times: Sarah Palin, Who Is Unvaccinated, Recently Dined Indoors In New York City Before Testing Positive.
Sarah Palin, who is not vaccinated against the coronavirus, dined indoors Saturday night at Elio’s, an Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side of Manhattan that regularly draws celebrities, despite New York City’s requirement that all indoor guests show proof of vaccination. She tested positive for the virus on Monday. “We just made a mistake,” said Luca Guaitolini, a manager for the restaurant, who was not working Saturday night but confirmed Ms. Palin’s visit. In an interview on Monday, he said that the restaurant checked vaccination cards for all first-time customers but not for regulars who come each week, and that Ms. Palin had dined with a longtime guest, whom he declined to name. (Krishna, 1/24)

USA Today: Sarah Palin Tests Positive For COVID, Delaying Trial
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's day in court over defamation claims against the New York Times was put on hold Monday after she tested positive for the coronavirus. Federal Judge Jed Rakoff said the trial, which had been set to start Monday, can begin Feb. 3 if Palin has recovered. "She is, of course, unvaccinated," Rakoff said in announcing three Palin tests came back positive for the virus. Palin, the Republican candidate for vice president in 2008, has urged people not to get vaccinated, telling an audience in Arizona last month that "it will be over my dead body that I'll have to get a shot." She previously was infected last March. (Bacon, Ortiz and Tebor, 1/24)

Modern Healthcare: Democrats Push Biden On Medicare Coverage Of At-Home COVID-19 Tests
President Joe Biden's administration is facing pressure from lawmakers and advocates to close a major gap in its COVID-19 strategy, which leaves Medicare beneficiaries without coverage of at-home tests. Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Plan enrollees are eligible for no-cost at-home COVID-19 tests under the American Rescue Plan Act. Households with private health insurance now can be reimbursed for at-home tests under a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services policy that took effect this month. (Hellmann and Goldman, 1/24)

Fierce Healthcare: Senators Want Medicare To Reimburse At-Home COVID-19 Tests Just Like Commercial Insurers
A group of Democratic senators is happy the Biden administration is requiring commercial insurers to cover at-home COVID-19 tests for customers but questions why Medicare isn’t doing the same thing for seniors. The group of 19 Democratic senators wrote to Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) leadership Monday seeking answers on the lack of testing reimbursement. (King, 1/24)

In Medicare news from Rhode Island —

The Providence Journal: Leaked Findings From Federal Inspection Of State Hospital Expose Deficiencies: What We Know
Leaked findings of a federal inspection of the state-run Eleanor Slater Hospital reveal a mountain of "deficiencies," including a "failure to ensure" infection control and surveillance and a failure to meet the requirements of Medicare dollars. The deficiencies cited within the report extend from infection control to patient safety to the condition of the facilities. They include hospital management's failure to start the process to renew its expired operating license until it was called out on the lapse. (Gregg, 1/24)

In other Medicare news —

Modern Healthcare: How Startup Insurers Captured Medicare Advantage Market Share
Startup health insurers grew their Medicare Advantage membership during the annual enrollment period, with some capturing market share from larger competitors like UnitedHealth Group, Humana and Cigna. Among the larger insurtechs, Devoted Health increased its membership the most, nearly doubling its beneficiary base to 63,046 from the start of December to beginning of January, according to federal data. The majority of the company's growth and members came from Florida and Texas, states where more than 80% of Devoted's members reside. Devoted is the last of the large insurtechs to remain private and, after raising a Series D round late last year, represents the most valuable of the health insurer upstarts with a valuation of $11.5 billion. (Tepper, 1/24)

CNBC: Here's How To Navigate Medicare If You Return To Work After Retiring
Sometimes, retirement doesn’t end up sticking. If the workforce is luring you back after you retired and you’re already on Medicare, you may be able to choose whether to drop your coverage in favor of an employer health plan and then re-enroll down the road. However, there are a lot of rules and deadlines to know if you go this route. For starters, the size of the employer offering the health plan matters. While workers at companies with fewer than 20 employees generally need to be enrolled in Medicare once they reach age 65 to avoid paying extra later, people at larger companies may have choices. (O'Brien, 1/24)

KGET 17: How To Find The Perfect Medicare Agent For You
Studio 17’s Ilyana Capellan talks to Ben Gomez from Romy & Associates about how finding the right Medicare agent can help alleviate headaches caused by the confusion that is Medicare. Gomez says it’s important to know the difference between a captive agent and a broker/independent agent. “Captive agents work for one company and can offer products from that company only. A broker or independent agent can represent several different companies giving their customers more options,” said Gomez. (Capellan, 1/24)

Stat: Insulin Giants Boost Their Lobbying Spending Amid Drug Pricing Talks
As lawmakers took aim at high insulin costs, two major insulin manufacturers increased their lobbying spending last year, according to new federal disclosures. Insulin has become the poster child for dysfunction in the drug pricing debate, and lawmakers are considering enacting insulin-specific policies including allowing Medicare to negotiate prices for all insulin products and capping out-of-pocket monthly costs for patients in Medicare and the private insurance market. (Cohrs, 1/25)

KHN: I Write About America’s Absurd Health Care System. Then I Got Caught Up In It
I got a hurried voicemail from my pharmacist in Wisconsin the day before Thanksgiving letting me know my insurance was refusing to cover my insulin. I had enough of the hormone that keeps me alive to last 17 days. In my 10 years living with Type 1 diabetes, I’ve never really struggled to access insulin. But in my job reporting on the people left behind by our country’s absurdly complex health care system, I’ve written about how insulin’s steep cost leads to deadly rationing and about patients protesting to bring those prices down. (Sable-Smith, 1/25)

In other health care industry news —

Appleton Post-Crescent: ThedaCare, Ascension In Court Over Health Care Worker Employment
Seven health care workers will be able to start their new jobs at Ascension St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton after a judge dismissed a temporary restraining order Monday that was barring them from doing so at the request of their former employer, ThedaCare. Outagamie County Circuit Court Judge Mark McGinnis ruled that ThedaCare's arguments were not enough to uphold the injunction. McGinnis said he signed the initial restraining order Friday because of the gravity of the situation that ThedaCare laid out in their complaint. Wisconsin statute says the court should give "substantial weight" to any adverse impact on public safety when deciding what to require in the order. (Heim, 1/24)

Modern Healthcare: More States Target Hospitals' Anticompetitive Contracting Policies
More states are trying to limit hospitals' anticompetitive contracting policies through lawsuits or legislation while federal antitrust agencies revamp their regulations. One of the most recent examples is in Connecticut, where Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center sued Hartford HealthCare for allegedly protecting their acute-care monopoly by bullying physicians into anticompetitive contract terms, which inflated prices. It is the latest in a series of lawsuits that look to curb dominant health systems' market power. Saint Francis is seeking financial damages, a permanent injunction preventing Hartford's alleged anticompetitive conduct and a court order to divest physician practices that Hartford has purchased since 2020. (Kacik, 1/24)

Modern Healthcare: UnitedHealthcare, Kaiser Appeal ACA Risk-Corridor Settlement Deal
A group of insurers led by UnitedHealthcare and Kaiser Foundation Health Plan subsidiaries asked a federal judge to slash the $184 million in lawyers fees owed after winning health plans $3.7 billion from two class-actions related to a now-expired Affordable Care Act program. More than 30 insurers wrote to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on January 20, saying that Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan's 10,000 hours on the case did not warrant the $184 million awarded to them, which the 34 health plans described as "the epitome of a windfall." The law firm's collection represents 5% of the total settlement awarded to the hundreds of insurers that sued through the class-actions, which is the maximum amount the law firm can receive from the deal. (Tepper, 1/24)

Stat: Can Open Datasets Help Machine Learning Solve Medical Mysteries?
The medical data housed in patient records are a clinical researcher’s dream: the key, potentially, to better tools to treat disease and screen with precision. They’re also a computer scientist’s nightmare: locked away in hospital systems, subject to restrictive data-sharing agreements, and often too messy to make use of. A new open science project wants to accelerate ethical AI in medicine by doing the hard work of collecting and cleaning that data. Nightingale Open Science launched in December with $6 million in funding, led by Schmidt Futures, the philanthropy of ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt. (It has no affiliation with Google’s controversial health record-mining partnership with Ascension, which went by the code name Project Nightingale). It will freely share de-identified clinical datasets with researchers, linking medical images like X-rays, ECG results, and biopsy slides — 40 terabytes worth, to start — to outcomes from partnered health systems. Hundreds of researchers have signed up for access in its first month. (Palmer, 1/25)

CBS News: Parents Scramble As Some Types Of Baby Formula Now Harder To Find In Parts Of U.S.
Some kinds of baby formula are getting harder to find in parts of the country, leaving parents of young children frustrated and scrambling for alternatives. "We've noticed it being difficult to find maybe a couple months ago — two, three months ago — and then just recently we can't find it," San Francisco resident Irene Anhoeck told CBS News. She and her husband, Mario Anhoeck are the parents of Marlo, a 10-month-old boy. And since she can't breastfeed, the couple have fed Marlo a liquid infant formula from Similac, which they said is now in short supply. (1/24)

MPR News: Formula Shortages Stressing Out Some Minnesota Parents 
A steady stream of cars lined up outside of a U-Haul center in downtown Mankato on a cold Sunday afternoon as volunteers handed out infant formula, diapers and baby wipes to waiting parents. Carter Gilbertson, 24, of Arlington, Minn., drove nearly 40 minutes with a friend. He heard about the distribution event while in town and stopped by to see if there was a specific infant formula for his son that’s been hard to find on grocery shelves lately.  (Yang, 1/19)

The Wall Street Journal: Baby Formula Is Hard To Find. Brands And Stores Are Divided Over Why.
Retailers and formula makers agree that out-of-stocks are a problem. They don’t agree on how severe it is and who is to blame. Chains like Walmart Inc. WMT 0.01% and CVS Health Corp. CVS 1.92% say the manufacturers are having supply issues; formula makers say retailers aren’t getting product to stores once it is delivered. “The shelves are just bare,” said Derval Kenny, 65, of Rye, N.Y., who has been trying to help find Similac formula for two infant grandsons who live in Connecticut and New Jersey. “To me, there should be an uproar.”Ms. Kenny, whose grandsons are five and six months old, said she has driven to stores across her county and into neighboring Connecticut and placed an order on Amazon last week that hasn’t yet been delivered. (Maloney and Terlep, 1/12)

And more about infant health —

NBC News: Giving Low-Income Families Cash Can Help Babies’ Brain Activity 
Supporting low-income families with cash could protect infants from the deleterious effects poverty has on brain development, research published Monday finds. The preliminary results from an ongoing clinical trial found that infants whose families received an extra $4,000 in annual income were more likely to show brain activity patterns associated with the development of thinking and learning. (Sullivan, 1/24)

In other public health news —

The Washington Post: Supreme Court Takes EPA Case That Could Narrow Clean Water Act
The Supreme Court will take up a challenge to the Clean Water Act that could narrow the law’s reach in ways long sought by businesses and home builders. The justices said Monday that they will consider, probably in the term beginning in October, a long-running dispute involving an Idaho couple who already won once at the Supreme Court in an effort to build a home near Priest Lake. The Environmental Protection Agency says there are wetlands on the couple’s roughly half-acre lot, which brings it under the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act, and thus requires a permit. The case raises the question of the test that courts should use to determine what constitutes “waters of the United States,” which the Clean Water Act was passed to protect in 1972. (Barnes, 1/24)

NBC News: Dry January Still Carries Benefits Even If You Slip Up, Experts Say
How is your Dry January going? If you’ve managed to abstain from alcohol so far, pat yourself on the back. But if your plans already have been derailed a time or two, don’t beat yourself up, experts say: When it comes to quitting drinking, a slip is not a fail. “It certainly doesn’t mean all is lost,” said Dr. Brian Hurley, a Los Angeles addiction specialist and president-elect of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. “People can absolutely get back on track.” (Stenson, 1/25)

The Atlantic: How A Rare Brain Mutation Spread Across America
Of the three Bowlin sisters, Margaret, the middle one, was the first to show signs. She began having seizures as a toddler. Then the eldest, Bettina, had a brief and mysterious episode of weakness in her right hand. In 1986, as an adult, she had a two-week migraine that got so bad, she couldn’t hold food in her mouth or money in her right hand. The youngest, Susan, felt fine, but her parents still took her for an exam in 1989, when she was 19. A brain scan found abnormal clusters of blood vessels that, as it turned out, were in her sisters’ brains too. These malformations in the brain can be silent. But they can also leak or, worse, burst without warning, causing the seizures, migraines, and strokelike symptoms Bettina and Margaret experienced. If the bleeding in the brain gets bad enough, it can be deadly. (Zhang, 1/24)

CNN: Fictional Peloton-Related Heart Attacks Undermine A Basic Reality About Exercise 
First it was Mr. Big, the character from "Sex in the City," dying in Carrie Bradshaw's arms from a heart attack after a 45-minute ride on his Peloton. Then it was Mike "Wags" Wagner, the drug-abusing, sadistic right hand of Axe Capital's Bobby Axelrod in the Showtime series "Billions," who too suffers a heart attack after exercising on his elite bike. Wags, played by esteemed character actor David Costabile, survives. "I'm not going out like Mr. Big," he declares in his typical cynical style in this season's opening episode. The negative publicity caused by the fictional incidents may have some wondering: Is it safe for your heart to exercise intensely? (LaMotte, 1/25)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Hundreds Of Mentally Ill Patients Are Stuck In Missouri Jails As State Struggles With Staffing Issues
Staffing problems at Missouri’s mental hospitals, often linked to the state’s low worker pay rates, have left hundreds of people needing treatment sitting in county jails for months. Nearly 160 people are awaiting admission to the state’s psychiatric hospitals under orders from judges to receive “competency restoration,” according to the Missouri Department of Mental Health. Another 65 individuals who, as of Jan. 20, have been evaluated and found to be incompetent to stand trial are awaiting new court orders that could lead to potential admission to state mental health facilities. But even then, they will remain in jail until more space opens in a treatment center. (Erickson, 1/25)

In other news from across the U.S. —

North Carolina Health News: Fentanyl Is Everywhere, Increasing Overdoses In The South
A rising number of people in North Carolina have landed in hospital emergency departments due to drug overdoses involving fentanyl. Fentanyl and its synthetic opioid cousins are much stronger than other common opioids, such as heroin, morphine or prescription painkillers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl is at least 100 times more powerful than an equivalent amount of morphine. Despite its intense potency, in recent years, fentanyl has been added to almost every kind of illegal drug. Though the epidemic has long been viewed as a “white problem” because white people made up the majority of opioid-related overdose deaths over the last two decades, that’s no longer the case. As fentanyl spreads, people who use other drugs, including stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine, have been pulled into the opioid epidemic. (Knopf, 1/25)

The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: Ohioans Submit 9 New Illness Petitions To Add To Ohio Medical Marijuana Conditions List 
The State Medical Board of Ohio will study medical marijuana’s potential efficacy for a handful of conditions that nine state residents want to add to the list of qualifying conditions... Each year, the State Medical Board considers new conditions. All the petitions are expected to be presented to a medical board committee during a Feb. 9 meeting, when it will determine which petitions warrant further consideration and open a public comment period for them via email. (Hancock, 1/24)

AP: House OKs Plan To Put Teachers On State Health Insurance 
Legislation allowing Idaho K-12 teachers to take home more of their paychecks by giving school districts an opportunity to leave private health care carriers and join the state’s self-funded health insurance plan cleared the House on Monday and headed to the Senate. The House voted 55-14 to approve the legislation backers said is needed to help the state hire and retain teachers and other school workers by reducing premiums and lowering deductibles. Backers also said it could reduce reliance on school levies some school districts use that can raise property taxes. (Ridler, 1/24)

Houston Chronicle: Students In Any Major Can Learn To Battle Health Inequity In New University Of Houston Program
The University of Houston is launching an initiative to combat health inequity that will launch new programs and courses to reach each of the university’s 16 colleges and schools. The UH Population Health initiative will focus on the 70 percent of factors other than genetics and healthcare that influence health for groups of people — including food, behavior and the environment. The approach was in the planning stages at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which drove home the need for more health-related efforts outside of medicine, UH officials said. (Ketterer, 1/24)

In news about the homelessness crisis —

San Francisco Chronicle: Appeals Court Upholds San Francisco Law Protecting Tenants From ‘Eviction By Another Name’
A state appeals court on Monday upheld a San Francisco tenant-protection law that bars property owners from sidestepping the city's limits on evictions by imposing huge, bad-faith rent increases to force renters to leave. The case tested the limits of the Costa-Hawkins Act, a California law backed by the real estate industry that banned local rent control on apartments built after February 1995 and on all single-family homes and condominiums. It did not limit a city or county’s authority to restrict tenant evictions, but the issue before the court was whether San Francisco’s eviction rules were a form of rent control. (Egelko, 1/24)

The Washington Post: Serial Murders, Beatings And Beheadings: Violence Against The Homeless Is Increasing, Advocates Say 
According to experts and advocates, the last year has seen a spike in violence against the homeless. There was a beheading in Colorado. A sleeping man lit on fire in the stairwell of a New York City apartment complex. An attack by four juveniles on a sleeping woman in Washington state. Beyond these lurid headlines, however, are dozens of daily acts of violence occasioned by increasing collisions between the housed and unhoused populations in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, experts say. (Swenson, 1/24)

AP: UK To Lift Travel Test Requirements For The Vaccinated 
The British government announced Monday that it is scrapping coronavirus travel testing requirements for the vaccinated, news hailed by the travel industry as a big step back to normality. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that “to show that this country is open for business, open for travelers, you will see changes so that people arriving no longer have to take tests if they have been vaccinated, if they have been double vaccinated.” (Lawless, 1/24)

In other global covid news —

Stat: Pfizer Faces Calls To Quickly Sell More Covid-19 Pills To Low-Income Countries
Amid concerns over access to Covid-19 vaccines and treatments, Pfizer (PFE) is being urged by a prominent advocacy group to make a recently authorized pill more widely available to poor countries and avoid the inequity problems that have so far plagued the global response to the pandemic. In a Jan. 24 letter to Pfizer chief executive officer Albert Bourla, Public Citizen argued the company is remiss for entering into supply agreements for its Paxlovid pill that “almost exclusively” cover countries based in North America and Europe while its production output is constrained. Pfizer has indicated that 120 million treatment courses will become available this year. (Silverman, 1/24)

AP: Israeli Expert Panel Advises 4th Vaccine Dose For Adults 
An expert panel on Tuesday advised the Israeli government to begin offering a fourth vaccine dose to everyone over the age of 18, citing research showing it helps prevent COVID-19 infection and severe illness. The advisory committee said research shows a fourth dose provides three to five times the level of protection against serious disease and double the protection against infection compared to three doses. The Health Ministry’s director must approve the recommendation. (1/25)

The Hill: Immunity Against Variants Found In Sinovac Recipients Who Got Mixed Vaccine Booster
People who were originally fully vaccinated with the Chinese-made Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine were shown to develop a high degree of immunity after receiving booster doses of either Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccines. In the Brazilian government-funded phase 4 study conducted by researchers from Brazil and Oxford University, patients who received an initial vaccination from Sinovac shots were found to develop significantly higher immune responses when given a booster shot from another vaccine manufacturer. (Choi, 1/24)

Stat: Sanofi Wants To Nix New Condos That Will Overlook A Toronto Vaccine Plant
In an unusual move, Sanofi (SNY) is urging the Toronto City Council to restrict development of a nearby residential property over concerns that the height of two planned towers could make it easier to spy on an expanding vaccine facility and, consequently, jeopardize Canadian national security. The issue arose after a local property developer two years ago submitted plans to erect towers that would be more than 30 stories high and a few hundred yards from an existing facility, which Sanofi plans to expand with $360 million in backing from the federal and Ontario provincial governments. The residential location has housed a small apartment building for the past few decades. (Silverman, 1/24)

In updates from the virus-free nation of Tonga —

AP: 23 Australians On Ship Delivering Aid To Tonga Have Virus
Nearly two dozen sailors on an Australian military ship going to deliver aid to Tonga have tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said Tuesday, raising fears they could bring COVID-19 to a Pacific nation that has so far managed to avoid any outbreaks. Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton said his government was working with Tongan authorities to keep the ship at sea and make sure there is no threat to Tonga’s 105,000 residents. (1/25)

Chicago Tribune: We Should Pivot From Urging Vaccination To Making COVID-19 Medications Readily Available
Two years ago, “pandemic” became a household word. Today, the lethal contagion refuses to concede. The omicron wave in the U.S. peaked in mid-January and is beginning to decline, but the country still averages more than half a million new cases and more than 1,500 deaths every day, both of which are easily the highest totals in the world. We have focused intently on prevention, less so on treatment. Now it is imperative to devote greater national attention to reducing COVID-19 morbidity and mortality, beyond simply encouraging vaccination. Americans would benefit if politicians and health care professionals energetically promoted the new effective COVID-19 medications. Without this overdue pivot, thousands of lives may be lost unnecessarily this spring. (Cory Franklin and Robert A. Weinstein, 1/24)

Newsweek: We're A Physician And Mathematician And A Data Scientist. N95s Won't Work For Kids 
The Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) in the SF Bay Area where we live, announced on Tuesday that it was planning on "transitioning all students and staff" to KN95 respirators. If worn properly, such respirators filter 95 percent of particles the size of those that carry the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The BUSD has proposed this measure as a means to slow the spread of COVID-19 and keep schools open. These respirators would be required for the entire school day, including outdoors during gym and recess. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of respirators is vastly overestimated, and there is scant evidence that they stop community transmission. (Ram Duriseti and Benjamin Recht, 1/24)

The Atlantic: Protect Kids From Your Faulty COVID Risk Assessments 
Six years ago, on a Saturday afternoon, I got a call from a law-enforcement officer telling me that my husband had died in a bike wreck during a charity race for cancer research. I had a toddler and was pregnant with my second daughter at the time. Three days later, I spoke at a memorial for Jake. The eulogy wasn’t just a tribute to him, but a mission statement for me. I asked that my friends and family hold me accountable for living life unafraid. A traumatic loss meant that I was primed to see threats everywhere. But I knew that my big fears would make the lives of my children small if I couldn’t control them. They deserved more from me than that. (Mary Katharine Ham, 1/25)

Bloomberg: China Should Prepare To Change Its Zero-Covid Policy 
More than two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, China is the last major nation pursuing a zero-tolerance strategy, seeking to extinguish outbreaks as soon as individual cases emerge. That policy looks increasingly unsustainable. Chinese leaders should prepare now for a change in course. (1/24)

CNN: The Threat Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Poses To Covid-19 Vaccination Efforts 
For many years, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been a leader of the anti-vaccination movement in the United States. And, for much of that time, he has been seen as an outlier. Even before the pandemic, several of his family members -- including Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, the former lieutenant governor of Maryland and former US Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II -- had taken him to task for spreading "dangerous misinformation" about vaccines. Now Kennedy is one of the leaders of a movement that is encouraging Americans to risk their own health and even that of others, since those who are vaccinated can help reduce the risk of severe disease and help to limit the scope of the pandemic, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Kennedy, by virtue of his family name and the anti-vaxxer organization he leads -- the innocuously named Children's Health Defense Fund -- as well as his high profile on social media, is now one of the largest sources of vaccine disinformation in the United States. (Peter Bergen, 1/24)

The New York Times: What Does It Mean To Be ‘Done With Covid’?
The desperate desire to get back to normal is understandable. What’s odd is seeing the absence of normality as a political betrayal instead of an epidemiological curveball. The reason things aren’t normal isn’t that power-mad public health officials went back on their promises. It’s because a new coronavirus variant emerged that overwhelmed hospitals and threw schools and many industries into chaos, and because not everyone has the luxury of being insouciant about infection. (Michelle Goldberg, 1/24)

Stat: Learning From Covid-19 Requires A Modeling Renaissance 
“Flatten the curve” was a rallying cry in early 2020 as Covid-19 began sweeping across the globe. Despite limited understanding of the virus and how it was transmitted, public health officials emphasized one point: reducing transmission was the surest way to deny Covid-19 the oxygen it needed to sustain itself. Top disease experts were quickly able to model and reasonably predict Covid-19’s early behavior. Within just two months of the first recorded infection in the U.S., public health officials had effectively offered Epidemiology 101 to a classroom of more than 325 million people. These models were powerful educational tools during a period of intense uncertainty, offering insight into how quickly the virus spreads, the likelihood of fatal infection, and what a cresting wave of cases could look like. (Amir Mokhtari, 1/25)

The Washington Post: New Studies Show A Booster Dose Is Essential. Our Policies Should Change Accordingly
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a trio of studies on Friday that erase any doubt that boosters are needed for optimal protection against covid-19. When science changes, policy should adapt accordingly. In this case, the same national effort used to deploy initial vaccinations should now occur for boosters. (Leana S. Wen, 1/24)

USA Today: Youth Mental Health Crisis: A Simple Coping Toolbox Can Help Children
We are facing a national child and adolescent mental health crisis. Dr. Vivek H. Murphy, U.S. surgeon general warned of the “devastating” impact of the pandemic on young people. Three of the leading organizations in the field agree. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children’s Hospital Association have cited dramatic increases in emergency department visits for all mental health emergencies, including suspected suicide attempts. Social media and its increased use due to the global pandemic is a leading factor in anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues among today’s youth. Children and teens need other outlets and coping skills. (Alysha Tagert, 1/23)

The Star Tribune: Bring On The 'Right To Live' Debate 
When resources are scarce, who gets to decide who lives and who dies? Who gets to decide when and to whom care will be delivered? And who decides what sort of care they can get? The debate is not new, but now again begs attention ("When death is coming, difficult choices are required," Jan. 20). (Jim Abeler and John Hoffman, 1/24)

Stat: What's Blocking Health Care Boards On Diversity, Equity, Inclusion? 
Governing boards of health systems tend to be conservative and bound by tradition, often populated by pillars of the local community who have a vested interest in helping the organization succeed but who tend to be averse to change. And yet, especially considering the effects of Covid-19 and recent societal upheaval around issues like structural racism and health equity, it is time for health care boards to get creative and adopt new procedures and practices, especially regarding diversity. They would be well served by pressure testing and changing some of their “time-honored” practices and modernizing. (Jim King and Philip Burton, 1/25)

Chicago Tribune: As The Pandemic Has Shown, More Needs To Be Done To Factor Sex, Gender Into Biological Research 
Tuesday marks the sixth anniversary of the Sex as a Biological Variable, or SABV, policy. You probably have not heard of this policy, but it may someday save your life. On Jan. 25, 2016, the National Institutes of Health enacted this landmark policy that requires all federally funded investigators to consider sex as a biological variable in basic science and clinical research studies. Although Congress passed a law in 1993 requiring women to be included in government-funded clinical research, the NIH didn’t require this for researchers working in preclinical labs until more than two decades later. In 2018, Illinois U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth and U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky and 27 other federal lawmakers officially designated Jan. 25 as Women’s Health Research Day. (Pavitra Kotini-Shah and Jeannette Wolfe, 1/24)

USA Today: COVID Shows Our Health Requires More Investment: WHO
How much is our health worth? If COVID-19 has given any guide, clearly not enough. This stark reality has been ignored for too long – at a price the whole world can now see. Lip service, largely, was paid to warning after warning to strengthen the world’s defenses against pandemics of novel pathogens, leaving the world dreadfully ill-prepared almost two years ago for the tsunami of suffering to come. (Gordon Brown, Helen Clark, Graca Machel, Paul Martin, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Elhadj As Sy, 1/25)