First Edition: Jan. 28, 2022

KHN: In Super-Vaxxed Vermont, Covid Strikes — But Packs Far Less Punch
Even Eden, a snow-covered paradise in northern Vermont, is poisoned by omicron. The nearly vertical ascent of new coronavirus cases in recent weeks, before peaking in mid-January, affected nearly every mountain hamlet, every shuttered factory town, every frozen bucolic college campus in this state despite its near-perfect vaccination record. Of all the states, Vermont appeared best prepared for the omicron battle: It is the nation’s most vaccinated state against covid, with nearly 80% of residents fully vaccinated — and 95% of residents age 65 and up, the age group considered most vulnerable to serious risk of covid. (Varney, 1/28)

KHN: Medicare Patients Win The Right To Appeal Gap In Nursing Home Coverage 
A three-judge federal appeals court panel in Connecticut has likely ended an 11-year fight against a frustrating and confusing rule that left hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries without coverage for nursing home care, and no way to challenge a denial. The Jan. 25 ruling, which came in response to a 2011 class-action lawsuit eventually joined by 14 beneficiaries against the Department of Health and Human Services, will guarantee patients the right to appeal to Medicare for nursing home coverage if they were admitted to a hospital as an inpatient but were switched to observation care, an outpatient service. (Jaffe, 1/28)

KHN: Listen: Generous Deals, And A Few Unwanted Surprises, At Covered California
KHN Southern California correspondent Bernard J. Wolfson was on “Línea Abierta,” a Radio Bilingüe weekday news program, answering questions for a Spanish-speaking audience about his recent column on health plan enrollment through California’s Affordable Care Act marketplace, Covered California. Wolfson’s column discusses the extraordinary deals available through Covered California. Because of a significant increase in federal tax credits, many people qualify for generous coverage without paying a penny in monthly premiums. Others, with higher incomes, qualify for tax credits large enough to reduce their premiums to easily affordable levels. (1/28)

KHN: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Record ACA Enrollment Puts Pressure On Congress 
The Biden administration announced that 14.5 million Americans have signed up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act for 2022. That’s a record, and several states are still enrolling people. But many millions of those newly insured could face significantly higher premiums for 2023 unless Congress extends the temporary subsidies it passed last year. Meanwhile, lawmakers are again working to salvage parts of the president’s Build Back Better social spending bill that failed to garner enough votes to pass the Senate. Separately, lawmakers are looking to remake the federal public health apparatus to better prepare for the next pandemic. (1/27)

AP: 14.5M Get Health Care Under Obama Law, With Help From Biden
“Health care should be a right, not a privilege, for all Americans,” President Joe Biden said Thursday in a statement announcing the numbers. “We are making that right a reality for a record number of people, bringing down costs and increasing access for families across the country.” But progress could prove fleeting if congressional Democrats remain deadlocked over Biden’s social agenda package. Biden’s earlier coronavirus relief bill has been providing generous subsidy increases that benefit new and returning customers by lowering premiums and out-of-pocket costs. The enhanced financial assistance is temporary. It will go away at the end of 2022 without congressional action to extend it additional years or make it permanent, included in the social agenda legislation. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 1/27)

Politico: Government Watchdog Says HHS At 'High Risk' Of Bungling Public Health Crises 
The Health and Human Services Department has failed to fix long-standing problems in its pandemic response, putting its ability to respond to future emergencies in jeopardy, the Government Accountability Office said in a report Thursday. The watchdog agency included HHS on its “High Risk List” of federal departments and programs susceptible to mismanagement and abuse without significant changes, such as drug and medical product oversight. Three dozen agencies and federal programs are currently on the list. (Owermohle, 1/27)

The Washington Post: Government Watchdog Says HHS Is At ‘High Risk’ Of Botching A Future Crisis
Investigators “found persistent deficiencies” in how the agency has led the response to the coronavirus pandemic and past public health emergencies dating to 2007, the Government Accountability Office concluded, citing continued problems coordinating among public health agencies, collecting infectious-disease surveillance data and securing appropriate testing and medical supplies, among areas it said are unresolved. (Diamond, 1/27)

AP: Watchdog Says Key Federal Health Agency Is Failing On Crises
The shortfalls include managing the medical supply chain, coordinating with federal and state agencies and providing clear and consistent communication to the public and the health care community, the GAO said. The report is part of the GAO’s evaluation of the government’s pandemic response. It was released as senators of both parties came out with draft legislation this week calling for a close study of the pandemic and an overhaul of HHS’ capabilities. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 1/27)

The Washington Post: White House Plans Fast Push On Breyer Replacement 
The White House is planning a fast, aggressive effort to nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court by the end of February and confirm her swiftly thereafter, reflecting the high stakes of the campaign and the pressure to move quickly in today’s polarized environment. Appearing with retiring Justice Stephen G. Breyer at the White House, President Biden on Thursday renewed his pledge to put a Black woman on the high court, saying, “It’s long overdue” and adding, “I will nominate a historic candidate, someone who is worthy of Justice Breyer’s legacy.” (Sullivan, Kim, Barnes and Marimow, 1/27)

Politico: 13 Legal Experts On How Breyer’s Replacement Will Change The Court 
The news that Justice Stephen Breyer is retiring from the Supreme Court galvanized the legal and political worlds this week. With so much riding on every SCOTUS seat, it’s impossible to ignore how big the consequences might be. But what will really change? Breyer is a moderate liberal justice, to be replaced by a moderate liberal president with the assent of a fully Democratic-controlled Congress. The ideological divide on the Supreme Court will surely remain 6-3. So what, if anything, will be different with a new face in Breyer’s place? What could be different? (1/27)

The Hill: McConnell: I'm Going To Give Biden's Supreme Court Nominee 'A Fair Look' 
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), who famously refused to give the last Democratic Supreme Court nominee a Senate hearing or vote, on Thursday said he’s ready to give President Biden’s pick to the high court “a fair look.”  While some conservatives are already taking shots at Biden for pledging to consider only a Black woman to replace retiring liberal Justice Stephen Breyer, McConnell is keeping his powder dry until the nominee is known. (Bolton, 1/27)

ABC News: Moderna Launches Clinical Trial For HIV Vaccine That Uses MRNA Technology
Moderna announced Thursday that it's launched early-stage clinical trials of an HIV mRNA vaccine. The biotechnology company has teamed up with the nonprofit ​​International AIDS Vaccine Initiative to develop the shot, which uses the same technology as Moderna's successful COVID-19 vaccine. (Kekatos, 1/27)

Modern Healthcare: Omicron May Have Peaked, But HCA Expects COVID-19 To Linger In 2022
HCA Healthcare isn't convinced that the COVID-19 omicron variant is done with it, the for-profit health system's chief executive said on an earnings call Thursday. During the fourth quarter, 5% of patients admitted to its 182 hospitals had COVID-19, the Nashville, Tennessee-based health system reported. That's significantly lower than the 13% of admissions recorded during the previous three months, but those 27,000 patients were still enough to put a damper on fourth quarter earnings, which fell below Wall Street analysts' estimates. (Bannow, 1/27)

The New York Times: Yes, Omicron Is Loosening Its Hold. But The Pandemic Has Not Ended
After a frenetic few weeks when the Omicron variant of the coronavirus seemed to infect everyone, including the vaccinated and boosted, the United States is finally seeing encouraging signs. As cases decline in some parts of the country, many have begun to hope that this surge is the last big battle with the virus — that because of its unique characteristics, the Omicron variant will usher Americans out of the pandemic. (Mandavilli, 1/27)

The Atlantic: Delta’s Not Dead Yet
Pour one out for Delta, the SARS-CoV-2 variant that Season 3 of the pandemic seems intent on killing off. After holding star billing through the summer and fall of 2021, Delta’s spent the past several weeks getting absolutely walloped by its feistier cousin Omicron—a virus that’s adept at both blitzing in and out of airways and dodging the antibodies that vaccines and other variants raise. In late November, Delta made up essentially all the SARS-CoV-2 infections that researchers were sequencing in the United States. Now it’s a measly 0.1 percent. As for the rest? It’s an Omicron show. (Wu, 1/27)

Oklahoman: Oklahoma Hits All-Time Record For COVID-19 Hospitalizations
Oklahoma hit an all-time high in COVID-19 hospitalizations on Thursday, recording a three-day average of 2,070 patients. Of those, 561 are in Oklahoma City. That surpassed the state's previous record of 1,994 COVID-19 hospitalizations, which was a single-day total, set in January 2021. The omicron surge has hit hospitals hard. In this wave, hospitals are dealing with record-high hospitalizations on top of worse staffing shortages than they've faced in previous waves. (Branham, 1/27)

Bloomberg: Covid Cases For U.S. West Coast Dockworkers Top All Of 2021’s
About 1,700 dockworkers at West Coast ports have tested positive for Covid-19 in January, stretching capacity at the U.S.’s busiest gateway for shipping containers. The number of infections for this month compares with 1,624 for all of 2021, according to the Pacific Maritime Association, which negotiates contacts with the International Longshore and Warehouses Union for 70 companies at 29 ports on the coast. About 80% of January’s reported infections were at the U.S.’s two largest ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Almost 15,000 ILWU workers are employed at West Coast ports. (Curtis, 1/27)

Modern Healthcare: Hospitals Spent More Than $1B On Remdesivir Last Year
Hospitals spent more on remdesivir, the antiviral medication used to treat COVID-19, last year than any other drug, a new report shows. It was the first time since 2012 that AbbVie's rheumatoid arthritis biologic Humira didn't top the list, according to Vizient's drug price outlook. Still, Humira was the largest contributor to drug price inflation last year and will likely remain that way until 2023, when multiple biosimilars are expected to hit the market. (Kacik, 1/27)

CIDRAP: Study: Pulse Oximeter Readings Unreliable Indicator Of COVID-19 Severity
A UK study today shows pulse oximeter readings, which measure the level of oxygen in the blood, are an unreliable tool for gauging COVID-19 severity across different ethnic groups. The study was published in the European Respiratory Journal. (1/27)

NBC News: Moderna's Omicron Booster Won't Be Ready Before Summer
Moderna plans to seek authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for its omicron-specific Covid-19 vaccine booster by the summer, the company’s chief medical officer said Thursday — a time frame that means that the targeted vaccine may not be available to the public until the second half of the year. Dr. Paul Burton, Moderna’s chief medical officer, told NBC News that the company is thinking ahead to the second half of 2022 when omicron may still be circulating widely. (Lovelace Jr., 1/27)

The Wall Street Journal: Covid-19 Vaccine Booster Shot Cuts Omicron Death Risk By 95%, U.K. Study Shows 
Three shots of vaccine cut the risk of death from Covid-19 by 95% in those age 50 and older during the Omicron surge in the U.K., according to an early study that showed immunity from vaccination held up well against the worst effects of the disease even among older people who are most at risk. The analysis, by the U.K. Health Security Agency, offers a glimpse of how effective vaccination is against death from Omicron in a highly boosted population. The U.K. government in December hurried to offer boosters to everyone 16 and older, expanding a campaign that up to that point had only applied to people 50 and older, and those with certain health conditions. (Roland, 1/27)

PBS NewsHour: 3 Things To Expect On COVID Vaccines This Year, According To Moderna’s Chief Medical Officer
Despite early projections that the latest surge in coronavirus cases might soon fizzle out, the chief medical officer for pharmaceutical giant Moderna predicted Thursday that the United States may still be contending with the omicron variant later this year, and that Americans may benefit from omicron-tailored booster shots. Dr. Paul Burton told the PBS NewsHour’s chief correspondent and substitute anchor Amna Nawaz that the variant, which accounts for nearly all new infections in the U.S. and has dominated much of the world, will not vanish after the current surge in cases subsides. (Santhanam, 1/27)

Stat: In ‘Chemo Brain,’ Researchers See Clues To Unravel Long Covid's Brain Fog
Back in the pandemic’s first wave, Michelle Monje was worried about Covid-19’s power to muddle the brain. Seeing the massive inflammatory response to the virus and early signs of what became known as long Covid’s brain fog, she was reminded of “chemo brain,” that mind-numbing side effect cancer patients endure when therapy to burn tumors away also inflames the brain. Monje’s not a virologist or an epidemiologist. She’s a neuro-oncologist at Stanford who has studied the neurobiological underpinnings of cognitive impairment after cancer therapy for 20 years. But like scientists around the world, for the last two years her research has pivoted to include Covid and its far-reaching impact throughout the body. That includes brain fog, when people can’t do simple math, concentrate for more than a few minutes, or find the right words. (Cooney, 1/28)

Politico: White House Mulling Scaled-Down, Covid-Related Paid Leave Plan 
The White House is exploring a push for a coronavirus-related paid leave program akin to that enacted in an earlier round of pandemic relief, three people familiar with the conversations said Thursday. It would be much more narrowly tailored than the 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for all workers Biden proposed in his original social spending package, Build Back Better. When opposition from moderates crumbled efforts to pass the legislation, hopes for that program — or even a dramatically scaled-down version — collapsed. (Mueller, 1/27)

Stateline: If You're A Frontline Worker, States Might Give You A Raise
Both Republican and Democratic governors are pushing this year for higher pay—and in some cases, more training—for teachers, police officers, health care workers and other professionals who’ve proved essential during the coronavirus pandemic. They’re framing their proposals both as a “thank you” to frontline workers and as an effort to recruit and retain them during a tight labor market. And because of a booming economy and federal COVID-19 relief aid, governors have plenty of money to spend. “Right now we don’t have to choose—we are able to be fiscally responsible while making record investments in our people and in our future,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, said during his budget address this month. (Quinton, 1/27)

Modern Healthcare: Novant Health Targets More Paid PTO As An Incentive To Stay
Novant Health is giving full-time workers an extra week of paid vacation, or the cash equivalent, as a reward for working through the last three years of the pandemic. It follows a trend of salary increases, bonuses and incentives to retain workers by hospitals across the country, but might not get at the heart of why some health professionals are leaving. "Like any other health system, we're faced with the same talent shortages that that exist," said Carman Canales, senior vice president and chief people officer at Novant. "We want to pay as much attention to keeping our existing talent here, as much as we're paying attention to inviting others to join us." (Gillespie, 1/27)

Modern Healthcare: California Healthcare Workers Win Fight To Stay Home While Asymptomatic With COVID-19
Healthcare workers at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, California who have tested positive for COVID-19 or who have been exposed to the virus will no longer be asked to return to work immediately while asymptomatic. In a deal with SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, the Prime Healthcare-operated hospital reversed a policy this week under which asymptomatic employees could be asked to go back to work without observing quarantine or isolation periods or receiving a negative COVID-19 test. Instead, the hospital will follow the CDC's most recent guidelines, which recommend that healthcare workers who are asymptomatic can return to work after five days of isolation, a Prime Healthcare spokesperson said. (Christ, 1/27)

Los Angeles Times: San Francisco Eases Mask, Vaccination Proof Rules As Omicron Recedes
San Francisco will ease its COVID-19 mask order for vaccinated gym members and office workers, and will relax rules requiring proof of vaccination when entering large indoor sports arenas, restaurants, bars and gyms, allowing unvaccinated people to enter if they show proof of a recent negative test. The move comes as the Omicron surge is flattening after weeks of record-setting infections. San Francisco has one of California’s most robust rates of vaccination and has a relatively high booster rate. (Lin II, 1/27)

AP: Judge Pauses COVID Vaccine Mandate For Certain City Workers 
Boston’s vaccination mandate won’t go into effect on Monday for some city workers, following a judge’s order Thursday. A Massachusetts Appeals Court judge issued a temporary stay on the mandate for unionized firefighters and certain unionized police officers challenging it. The judge ruled the vaccine mandate will be paused pending a review of a lower court order. (1/27)

The Hill: Mississippi Bill Would Bar Requiring Vaccination For Employees With 'Sincerely Held Religious Objection' 
Mississippi's Republican-controlled state House on Thursday passed a bill that would bar public and private employers from requiring workers with a “sincerely held religious objection” to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The proposed bill, HB 1509, would also prohibit a number of government entities, including state agencies, public colleges and city and county governments from withholding services or denying employment to unvaccinated people. (Oshin, 1/27)

AP: Florida Sheriff Fires Deputy Union Head After COVID-19 Fight 
A Florida sheriff fired the president of his department’s deputies union Thursday, capping a three-year battle that escalated when the union chief accused the sheriff of not providing deputies with adequate protective gear against COVID-19. (Spencer, 1/27)

Houston Chronicle: Houston's New Vaccine Jackpot Offers 12 Gift Cards For $1,000, $38K In Prizes For Getting COVID Shots
Houston will offer cash prizes totaling $38,000 to residents who get inoculated against COVID-19 in the coming months, the city’s latest effort to jump-start stagnating vaccine demand. Since the life-saving promise of vaccines has not yet lured 30 percent of Houstonians to local clinics, health officials hope cash will. Twelve people will be awarded $1,000 gift cards for getting the jab at any city-run clinic. Two winners will be chosen by raffle every Friday for six weeks. (Mishanec, 1/27)

AP: Indiana Senate Backs Narrow Bill To End Health Emergency
The Indiana Senate has approved a bill taking administrative steps that Gov. Eric Holcomb has said are needed in order for him to end the statewide COVID-19 public health emergency. Senators voted 34-11 in favor of the bill Thursday. The Republican-dominated Senate’s proposal is limited to those administrative actions, while House Republicans have pushed through a bill that would also severely limit workplace COVID-19 vaccination requirements. (1/27)

USA Today: Sarah Palin Eats At NYC Restaurant After Testing Positive For COVID
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin dined at a New York City restaurant Wednesday, days after it was confirmed she tested positive for the coronavirus multiple times. The former Republican vice presidential nominee dined at New York City’s Elio’s. The visit came after her positive coronavirus tests earlier this week delayed a trial over her defamation claims against The New York Times. Federal Judge Jed Rakoff on Monday said the trial can begin Feb. 3 if Palin has recovered. "She is, of course, unvaccinated," the judge said in announcing that Palin had received three positive tests for the virus. (Pitofsky, 1/27)

The Washington Post: Marvel Star Evangeline Lilly Attended Anti-Coronavirus Vaccine Mandate Rally 
Canadian actress Evangeline Lilly — known for her role on the TV series “Lost” and as the Wasp in Marvel’s films — said she went to an anti-vaccine-mandate rally in D.C. last weekend to support “bodily sovereignty.” The demonstration, which took place on the National Mall, appeared to be the same event where political scion and anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. referenced Anne Frank in a speech to imply that Jews had more freedoms during the Holocaust than unvaccinated Americans do today. (Kennedy later apologized after he was widely rebuked, including by the Auschwitz Memorial.) (Cheng, 1/28)

The Hill: Jewish Groups Sound The Alarm As Anti-Vaccine Mandate Movement Invokes Holocaust 
Jewish groups are on high alert after a spate of recent incidents in which individuals opposed to COVID-19 vaccine mandates have invoked the Holocaust to argue against vaccinations.  The most notable example came last weekend when Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at an anti-vaccine mandate rally in Washington, D.C. appeared to suggest that unvaccinated Americans have fewer freedoms than Anne Frank.  (Schnell, 1/27)

The Hill: Poll: 62 Percent Who Tried To Find At-Home COVID-19 Test Had Difficulty
A new poll finds that more than 60 percent of U.S. adults who tried to get an at-home COVID-19 test reported difficulty doing so, underscoring problems with testing access.  The survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 62 percent of U.S. adults who tried to get an at-home coronavirus test in the past month had difficulty, compared to 38 percent who found it easy.  (Sullivan, 1/28)

Roll Call: Pharmacies, Governors Say Biden Test Program Is Depleting Supply 
The Biden administration’s program to make 1 billion COVID-19 rapid tests available to Americans across the country appears to be exacerbating pharmacy supply shortages and making it more difficult for Americans to find tests on short notice after a virus exposure, say some pharmacists and state officials. “It’s just a matter of numbers. I mean, there’s just no question that you take a billion tests out of the supply chain, and it’s going to have an impact,” said Kurt Proctor, senior vice president of strategic initiatives at the National Community Pharmacists Association. (Cohen, 1/27)

AP: Montana Counties Ready To Distribute Free Rapid COVID Tests
Montana counties are preparing to distribute 650,000 rapid COVID-19 tests at no cost to residents, Gov. Greg Gianforte said Thursday. The state health department spent $5.5 million in federal COVID-19 relief money to order the tests earlier this month. (1/27)

The Wall Street Journal: Which At-Home Covid Test Is Best For You? PCR-Like Gadgets Vs. Rapid Antigen Kits 
It’s Friday and you’ve got a scratchy throat and a mild headache. Time to play “Cold? Covid? Or Just Crazy?”—the only game more popular than Wordle. Or you could open up your medicine cabinet and power-on a small white box. Swab your nose with a Lego-like stick, then slide that into the illuminated gadget. About 20 minutes later, your iPhone buzzes: “COVID-19 Positive.” (Stern, 1/27)

The Washington Post: Positive Coronavirus Tests Could End Olympic Dreams Before Athletes Leave For Beijing
U.S. Olympic bobsled team member Josh Williamson announced Wednesday on Instagram that he had tested positive for the coronavirus, preventing him from traveling to Beijing for the Winter Games on Thursday with the rest of Team USA. ... The Olympics do not begin until Feb. 4 and the four-man bobsled competition — in which Williamson, a brakeman, is expected to compete — does not start until Feb. 15, giving him time to test negative and join his teammates in Beijing. But his positive test shows how the pandemic could end Olympic hopes for some athletes before the Games even begin, perhaps unfairly. (Bonesteel, 1/27)

Bloomberg: Blood Shortage 2022: US Hospitals Plead For Donations After Dropping In Pandemic
U.S. hospitals face a critical shortage of blood supplies, adding to the pressure on the health-care system already strained by surging Covid-19 cases. Ongoing blood shortages “could significantly jeopardize the ability of health care providers” to care for patients, the American Hospital Association, American Medical Association and American Nurses Association said in a joint statement Thursday. “The need for blood has increased while staffing shortages and high rates of Covid-19 in communities have diminished donations,” the groups said. They said people shouldn’t be discouraged from donating if they can’t get appointments right away because the need is ongoing. (Muller, 1/27)

The Boston Globe: Father Of Unvaccinated Man Denied Heart Transplant Says His Son Has Received A Heart Pump
The family of a Massachusetts man who claims he’s been denied a heart transplant because he’s not vaccinated against COVID-19 is speaking out this week, saying they are devastated over a hospital policy that says he isn’t eligible to have the procedure. David Ferguson Jr., known as D.J., has been receiving treatment at hospitals around Boston since late November after suffering complications from atrial fibrillation and deteriorating heart failure, according to a fundraising appeal set up by his mother, Tracey Ferguson. The 31-year-old was told by Brigham & Women’s Hospital officials that he is ineligible for the transplant, according to the fundraising post, because he has not been vaccinated against the deadly virus. (Bowker, 1/27)

The Boston Globe: Mass General Brigham Fights Back Against Criticisms Of Expansion
Mass General Brigham defended plans on Thursday to undertake a $2.3 billion expansion, writing to state regulators that concerns about the project’s effects on health care spending were overstated and that a state agency criticizing the projects had overstepped its authority. In documents filed with the Department of Public Health, the state’s largest health system outlined the case for its expansion, which includes opening ambulatory sites in Westborough, Westwood, and Woburn, and building multi-million dollar additions at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital. (Bartlett, 1/27)

CBS News: Chiefs Fans Help Raise More Than $300,000 For Buffalo Children's Hospital After Dramatic Win Over Bills 
Since the Kansas City Chiefs' dramatic overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills last Sunday, Chiefs fans have helped raise more than $300,000 in donations to a local children's hospital in Western New York. Many of the donations were for $13 – the same amount of seconds it took the Chiefs to tie the game against the Bills. On Thursday, Oishei Children's Hospital tweeted their gratitude to Chiefs fans, saying it received $312,800 from over 15,800 donors. "This team works hard caring for the kids in WNY & your donations help ensure they have all the tools needed to be ready to help," the hospital said. (Brito, 1/27)

Medscape: Doc Accused Of Killing 22 Patients In The ICU
On Dec. 5, 2017, Danny Mollette, age 74, was brought to the emergency department of Mount Carmel West Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio, in critical condition. Staff inserted a breathing tube and sent him to the intensive care unit. Mollette, who had diabetes, previously had been hospitalized for treatment of a gangrenous foot. When he arrived in the ICU, he was suffering from acute renal failure and low blood pressure, and had had two heart stoppages, according to a 2020 Ohio Board of Pharmacy report. (Meyer, 1/27)

Stat: U.S. International Trade Commission Will Investigate AbbVie Claims That Rival Stole Secrets
The U.S. International Trade Commission agreed to investigate whether two companies misappropriated trade secrets in connection with plans to eventually market a biosimilar version of Humira, a best-selling biologic medicine sold by AbbVie (ABBV) for treating rheumatoid arthritis and other ailments. The decision follows a complaint filed last month by AbbVie, which is bracing for a clutch of biosimilar competitors next year and which hopes to thwart Alvotech and its partner, Teva Pharmaceuticals (TEVA), from selling a version of Humira even sooner. Alvotech is awaiting regulatory approval for its drug after pandemic travel restrictions delayed plant inspections by the Food and Drug Administration. (Silverman, 1/27)

Fox News: Immunotherapy Before Surgery Killed Off Liver Tumors In One-Third Of Patients, Study Finds
Liver tumors died off in a third of patients enrolled in a study who received immunotherapy treatment before surgery, according to Mount Sinai researchers in New York City. The study was recently published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology. Liver cancer is one of the deadliest and most common cancers, the study’s senior author and associate professor of medicine (hematology and medical oncology) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Dr. Thomas Marron, told Fox News in an interview. (McGorry, 1/27)

AP: Two Powerful Drugs Now Adding To US Overdose Crisis 
Emerging reports show that two little-known drugs are making lethal new contributions to America’s drug overdose crisis. Para-fluorofentanyl and metonitazene are being seen more often by medical examiners looking into overdose deaths, according to a government report published Thursday. They often are taken with — or mixed with — illicit fentanyl, the drug mainly responsible for the more than 100,000 U.S. overdose deaths in the last year. (Stobbe, 1/27)

USA Today: Colon Cancer Found In More Younger Adults. 'Get Screened,' Doctor Says
A growing number of young adults are being diagnosed with late-stage colon cancer, according to a new peer-reviewed study. Researchers from the University of Colorado School of Medicine examined data from 100,000 people with adenocarcinoma, an aggressive form of cancer that's more likely to be caught in later stages. Some of the reasons for a rise in young adults could be linked to obesity, diet and environmental factors, according to the study. The study revealed that young patients ages 20 to 29 have seen the highest spike in rates of diagnosed colon cancer cases. That age group is also more likely to have a distant, less treatable form of cancer when officially diagnosed. (Gleeson, 1/27)

CNN: Vitamin D And Fish Oil Supplements May Help Prevent Autoimmune Disease, Study Says 
Taking daily vitamin D and fish oil supplements may help protect older adults from developing autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, thyroid diseases and polymyalgia rheumatica, an inflammatory disease that causes muscle pain and stiffness in the shoulders and hips, a new study found. People age 50 and older taking 2,000 IU (International Units) of vitamin D3 for over five years had a 22% lower relative rate of confirmed autoimmune diagnoses, said study author Dr. Karen Costenbader, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in the division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity and the director of the lupus program at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. (LaMotte, 1/27)

Fox News: Men Concerned About Fertility Should Limit Cell Phone Use To Protect Sperm Quality, Study Says
Men may want to limit their cell phone use if they are concerned about fertility, according to a recent metanalysis published this past November in Environmental Research, which found the radiofrequency electromagnetic waves (RF-EMWs) emitted by cell phones decrease sperm quality by reducing their motility, viability, and concentration. ​​"Male cell-phone users should strive to reduce mobile phone use to protect their sperm quality," said Yun Hak Kim, lead researcher and an assistant professor at Pusan National University. (Sudhakar, 1/27)

AP: Appeals Court Mulls Arguments On South Carolina Abortion Law 
An appellate court heard arguments Thursday in Planned Parenthood’s legal challenge to South Carolina’s new abortion law, with attorneys for the state arguing the nonprofit doesn’t have standing to bring the case. The nonprofit group, which immediately challenged the law after Republican Gov. Henry McMaster signed it last year, countered that it stood on legal bedrock. (Kinnard, 1/27)

Detroit Free Press: Student With Meningitis Exposed Others At These MSU, U-M Frat Events
Anyone who attended two college fraternity events — one Jan. 20 in Ann Arbor and another Jan. 22 in East Lansing — may have been exposed to meningococcal meningitis and should start antibiotic treatment immediately, health officials warned Thursday. A case of the rare and serious bacterial infection, which can cause swelling of the membranes around the spinal cord and brain and may lead to death, was confirmed in a University of Michigan student who attended an event 10:30 p.m.-12 a.m. Jan. 20 at the Delta Kappa Epsilon residence, 800 Oxford Road, Ann Arbor. (Jordan Shamus, 1/27)

AP: Lawmakers Disagree Over Fine For Smoking In Car With Kids
Two West Virginia state senators disagreed Thursday over whether penalizing adults for smoking with children in the car would be a violation of “parental rights.” Senate Bill 139 would make it a misdemeanor to smoke in the car with a child under 16 present. The violation would be punishable by up to a $25 fine. (Willingham, 1/27)

The Wall Street Journal: Welcome To Beijing’s Covid Olympics: ‘The Situation Is Going To Be Strict For A While’ 
China appears to have brought two recent large coronavirus outbreaks under control and has turned its focus to Beijing, where health authorities are ramping up testing and tightening containment protocols as the Chinese capital prepares for the Lunar New Year and the Winter Olympics. Chinese authorities this week lifted a roughly monthlong lockdown of the central Chinese city of Xi’an, where a Delta outbreak had spread last month. The port city of Tianjin, which neighbors Beijing, declared victory over an Omicron outbreak, lifting most of the restrictions on its citizens. (Hua, 1/27)