AP: CDC Director Announces Shake-Up, Citing COVID Mistakes
The head of the nation’s top public health agency on Wednesday announced a shake-up of the organization, saying it fell short responding to COVID-19 and needs to become more nimble. The planned changes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — CDC leaders call it a “reset”— come amid criticism of the agency’s response to COVID-19, monkeypox and other public health threats. The changes include internal staffing moves and steps to speed up data releases. (Stobbe, 8/17)

The Wall Street Journal: CDC Director Outlines Restructuring Plans After Agency’s Covid-19 Response Fell Short 
The changes will include elevating the laboratory division to report to the CDC’s director and restructuring the communications office, according to a CDC official with knowledge of the plans. Dr. Walensky wants to shift the CDC’s culture from highly academic to focus more on preparedness and response, the official said. Dr. Walensky also wants additional funding and more authority for the CDC on matters including mandating data collection from states, changes that would require action from lawmakers, the official said. (Abbott, 8/17)

Stat: In An Effort To Address Covid Missteps, CDC Plans An 'Ambitious' Overhaul
Walensky also said the agency needs to acknowledge the flaws of its response to Covid-19. Those mistakes date to the earliest days of the pandemic, when a test designed by CDC scientists to detect the new disease failed to work on the ground — leaving the country blind to how quickly the SARS-CoV-2 virus was transmitting at a critical juncture when aggressive measures could have slowed Covid’s spread. That error happened on Walensky’s predecessor’s watch. But the agency has continued to struggle since her arrival at the beginning of the Biden administration, notably with confusing messaging about how long people who have been infected need to isolate to try to prevent onward transmission. (Branswell, 8/17)

The New York Times: Walensky, Citing Botched Pandemic Response, Calls For C.D.C. Reorganization 
“To be frank, we are responsible for some pretty dramatic, pretty public mistakes, from testing to data to communications,” she said in a video distributed to the agency’s roughly 11,000 employees. Dr. Walensky said the C.D.C.’s future depended on whether it could absorb the lessons of the last few years, during which much of the public lost trust in the agency’s ability to handle a pandemic that has killed more than 1 million Americans. “This is our watershed moment. We must pivot,” she said. (LaFraniere and Weiland, 8/17)

The Hill: CDC Director Announces Agency Overhaul, Says It Must ‘Do Better’ After COVID-19 Review 
The review, led by Jim Macrae, an official in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), included findings such as that the CDC should “share scientific findings and data faster,” according to a top-line summary released by the CDC, and “be transparent about the agency’s current level of understanding.” The CDC said Wednesday that it is taking a number of steps to change its culture and prioritize direct public health impact over a more academic mindset.   (Sullivan, 8/17)

The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: Federal Judge Orders Pharmacies To Pay Trumbull, Lake Counties $650 Million In First Opioid Trial For National Chains
A federal judge on Wednesday ordered three pharmacy chains to pay Lake and Trumbull counties a combined $650 million for the businesses’ role in the opioid epidemic. U.S. District Judge Dan Polster handed down his decision Wednesday in a 76-page opinion that mostly sided with the counties’ arguments that Walgreens, CVS and Walmart recklessly dispensed prescription painkillers in the two Northeast Ohio communities. The counties said the chains’ actions led to overdoses, addictions and an overwhelmed community resource network. (Ferrise, 8/17)

AP: Judge: Pharmacies Owe 2 Ohio Counties $650M In Opioids Suit
The opioid crisis has overwhelmed courts, social-service agencies and law enforcement in Ohio’s blue-collar corner east of Cleveland, leaving behind heartbroken families and babies born to addicted mothers, Lanier told jurors. Roughly 80 million prescription painkillers were dispensed in Trumbull County alone between 2012 and 2016 — equivalent to 400 for every resident. In Lake County, some 61 million pills were distributed during that period. (Gillispie, 8/17)

The companies say they will appeal —

The Hill: Walmart, CVS And Walgreens Ordered To Pay $650 Million To Ohio Counties For Opioid Crisis
When reached for comment, all three companies said they intended to appeal the ruling. In a statement, Walmart accused the plaintiffs of seeking “deep pockets” to sue and said the trial was riddled with “remarkable legal and factual mistakes.” “Instead of addressing the real causes of the opioid crisis, like pill mill doctors, illegal drugs and regulators asleep at the switch, plaintiffs’ lawyers wrongly claimed that pharmacists must second-guess doctors in a way the law never intended and many federal and state health regulators say interferes with the doctor-patient relationship,” Walmart said. (Choi, 8/17)

The Wall Street Journal: CVS, Walgreens And Walmart Ordered To Pay $650 Million To Ohio Counties In Opioid Case 
“We strongly disagree with the Court’s decision regarding the counties’ abatement plan, as well as last fall’s underlying verdict,” said Michael DeAngelis, executive director for corporate communications for CVS Health Corp. “Pharmacists fill legal prescriptions written by DEA-licensed doctors who prescribe legal, FDA-approved substances to treat actual patients in need.” (Ansari, 8/17)

Also —

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: GOP Legislators Object To Evers Plan For $31M Opioid Settlement Money
The Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance has delayed the Evers administration's spending plan for $31 million in settlement funds to combat the state's opioid epidemic. Earlier this month, the state Department of Health Services submitted a proposal to the committee recommending how the state should use the money awarded from a legal settlement with pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors. (Hess, 8/17)

Stat: Experts Cite Simple Way To Cut Opioid Deaths: Expand Methadone Access
When it comes to fighting opioid addiction, there’s no tool more effective than methadone. Doctors have been prescribing the drug since the 1960s, and patients who use it are far less likely to experience an overdose. (Facher, 8/18)

AP: Judge Reinstates North Carolina’s 20-Week Abortion Ban
Abortions in North Carolina are no longer legal after 20 weeks of pregnancy, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, eroding protections in one of the South’s few remaining safe havens for reproductive freedom. U.S. District Judge William Osteen reinstated an unenforced 20-week abortion ban, with exceptions for urgent medical emergencies, after he said the June U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade erased the legal foundation for his 2019 ruling that placed an injunction on the 1973 state law. (Schoenbaum, 8/17)

CNN: Federal Judge Allows North Carolina's 20-Week Abortion Ban To Be Reinstated 
In 2019, District Judge William Osteen had stopped the law from being enforced and declared the ban unconstitutional based on Supreme Court precedent. His decision was upheld in 2021 by an appeals court. But in his order Wednesday, Osteen wrote that “under Dobbs, there is now no constitutional right to a pre-viability abortion, thus depriving the injunction of any constitutional basis from which to enjoin the challenged North Carolina laws regulating abortion.” (Stracqualursi and Sneed, 8/17)

From South Carolina —

The Washington Post: South Carolina Supreme Court Temporarily Blocks 6-Week Abortion Ban
The South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday temporarily blocked the state’s near-total abortion ban, which barred patients from terminating a pregnancy at around six weeks, after a fetal heartbeat can be detected. The ban took effect shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court decided Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. (Shepherd, 8/17)

AP: S.C. Court Blocks Abortion Law As Senate Considers New One
Meanwhile, the South Carolina Senate had just started taking its first steps toward further abortion restrictions. The Medical Affairs Committee listened to nearly nine hours of invited testimony and public comment Wednesday as they consider language for another abortion bill. On Tuesday, the South Carolina House Judiciary Committee advanced a near-total abortion ban with no exceptions for pregnancies caused by rape or incest. (Pollard, 8/17)

The Hill: Tim Kaine’s Role On Abortion Bill Sparks Progressive Concerns 
Progressive Democrats are expressing growing concern about having Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) as the face in the Senate of restoring abortion rights, particularly after voters in Kansas struck down a proposed constitutional amendment that would have eliminated abortions in the state.  They see Kaine, who personally opposes abortion, as too much of a centrist on the issue, and they argue the legislation he’s backing, which he says would codify the Roe v. Wade decision, doesn’t go nearly far enough.  (Parnes, 8/17)

In abortion updates from Florida —

AP: Court: Parentless Girl, 16, Not 'Mature' Enough For Abortion 
An appellate court has upheld a lower court ruling that a parentless 16-year-old girl in the Florida Panhandle was not “sufficiently mature” to end her pregnancy while seeking a waiver from a state law that requires minors to get parental consent for an abortion. The teen, known as Jane Doe 22-B in court papers, had told the lower court that she wasn’t ready to have a baby, didn’t have a job and the father was unable to assist her. She was pursuing a GED and living with a relative. The teen also told the lower court that her appointed guardian was “fine” with her decision to have an abortion. (8/16)

The Washington Post: DeSantis Sued By Prosecutor Suspended Over Stance On Abortion-Related Crime
A Florida prosecutor has sued Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in a bid to be reinstated after he was dismissed from his post for pledging he would not prosecute cases stemming from Florida’s 15-week abortion ban and potential bans on gender-affirming care. (Bellware and Beachum, 8/17)

From Nevada, Idaho, Kansas, Indiana, and Wisconsin —

AP: Nevada Gov Vows To Codify Order Protecting Patients Into Law 
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak said Wednesday that if he wins re-election he would seek to codify in law next legislative session an order he signed that protects in-state abortion providers and out-of-state patients. “Governors are the last line of defense in protecting reproductive freedoms,” he said. “The buck stops with us.” (Stern, 8/18)

AP: Medical Groups, 20 States Weigh In On Idaho Abortion Lawsuit
A legal battle over abortion rights pitting one of the reddest states in the nation against the U.S. government has dozens of states and major medical associations seeking to weigh in. Twenty states, Washington, D.C., the American College of Emergency Physicians, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and others are among those to have filed “friend of the court” briefs as of Wednesday, siding with the federal government’s claims that Idaho’s near-total abortion ban violates federal health care law. (Boone, 8/17)

AP: Kansas Abortion Vote: Why Recount With Such A Large Margin?
Kansas on Tuesday began a partial hand recount of this month’s decisive statewide vote in favor of abortion rights, a move forced by two Republican activists even though the margin was so large that the recount won’t change the outcome. Nine of the state’s 105 counties are doing the recount at the request of Melissa Leavitt, of Colby, in far northwestern Kansas, who has pushed for tighter election laws. A longtime anti-abortion activist, Mark Gietzen, of Wichita, is covering most of the costs. ... Gietzen and Leavitt have both suggested there might have been problems without pointing to any actual examples or evidence. (Hanna, Hollingsworth and Riccardi, 8/16)

Indianapolis Star: Indiana Abortion Law: Planned Parenthood Pivots Care After Indiana Law
Clinics that provide abortions in Indiana are seeing more patients than ever these days as pregnant people from as far as away as Texas travel here for care. That could change dramatically next month when the state’s near total ban is scheduled to take effect, limiting not only who can have abortions but also where they can be performed. (Rudavsky, 8/18)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Doctors In Wisconsin Say Abortion Ban Confuses In At-Risk Pregnancies
The woman had been traveling through Wisconsin from out of state in late July when, early in her second trimester, her water broke. Dr. Shefaali Sharma, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Madison, was working on the labor and delivery floor when the call came in that the patient was on the way to her clinic. (Eilbert, Mathew and Shastri, 8/17)

From Texas —

The Texas Tribune: First Lubbock Banned Abortions. Now The Fight Is Over Contraception. 
When the Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to abortions in June, Destiny Adams felt the country was taking a step backward. So she decided to push her small West Texas town a step forward. To do her part, Adams began leaving free emergency contraception kits neatly packed in white plastic bags in the bathroom of her coffeehouse, Tumbleweed + Sage. (Lozano, 8/18)

The Texas Tribune: Texas Law Banning Abortion Dates To 1857 
When Mollie Smith learned she was pregnant by her former school teacher, the 20-year-old was “mentally depressed and despondent.” She asked the man who impregnated her to help her seek an abortion. It was 1897. (Klibanoff, 8/17)

AP: Planned Parenthood To Spend Record $50M In Midterm Elections
Planned Parenthood, the nation’s leading reproductive health care provider and abortion rights advocacy organization, plans to spend a record $50 million ahead of November’s midterm elections, pouring money into contests where access to abortion will be on the ballot. The effort, which breaks the group’s previous $45 million spending record set in 2020, comes about two months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that created a constitutional right to have an abortion. It will be waged by the organization’s political and advocacy arms and will focus on governor’s offices, U.S. Senate seats and legislative races in nine states where abortion rights could be restricted or expanded depending on the outcome at the ballot. (Slodysko, 8/17)

Fox News: Planned Parenthood To Spend Historic $50 Million On Midterm Elections, Pro-Life Group Calls Action 'Desperate' 
The organization announced its funds "will be strategically used to elect abortion rights champions across the country who are critical to protecting abortion access in a post-Roe world." It will focus first on ad buys in nine states: Georgia, Nevada, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Arizona, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Michigan and Wisconsin. The organization is expecting to reach approximately 6 million people through digital advertising, television ads, phone banking, etc., in targeted pro-life states, as well as those whose leaders seek to expand abortion rights. (Spady, 8/17)

In other news about Planned Parenthood —

13 WHAM: Planned Parenthood Taking Henrietta Town Board To Court 
Planned Parenthood is suing the Henrietta Town Board over its denial of a special use permit for a medical facility on Jefferson Road. Planned Parenthood says the town board was arbitrary and capricious in its denial, essentially rewriting accepted zoning and land use rules to fit their own personal views. Planned Parenthood cites the fact that other medical use facilities - in commercial B-1 zoning districts - have been approved. (8/17)

Cincinnati Enquirer: Planned Parenthood Helps Ohioans Find Abortions Out Of State
Leah Mallinos works as Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio's sole patient navigator for its east Columbus and Bedford Heights locations. Her work entails helping pregnant Ohioans seeking abortions elsewhere to find appointments, transportation, childcare and other assistance, both personal and practical. (Balmert, 8/16)

CBS News: Monkeypox Vaccine Maker Can't Keep Up With Demand As Case Numbers Swell
Danish biotech company Bavarian Nordic A/S, the only producer of an FDA-approved monkeypox vaccine, said it is struggling to meet demand for its shots amid the rise in cases of the disease. Increased demand may force the company to expand its limited manufacturing capacity by outsourcing some of its production, including to facilities in the U.S. Currently, the vaccine is only manufactured at Bavarian Nordic's Danish facility. (Cerullo, 8/17)

Bloomberg: Monkeypox Vaccine Maker Bavarian Nordic No Longer Sure It Can Meet Demand
“It’s a very dynamic market situation,” Rolf Sass Sorensen, a vice president at the firm, said by phone on Wednesday. “Demand keeps rising and it’s no longer certain that we can continue to meet the demand we’re facing even with the upgrade of our existing manufacturing site in Denmark.” (Wienberg and Muller, 8/17)

Democrats urge President Joe Biden to invoke the Defense Production Act —

The Hill: New York Democrats Urge White House To Invoke Defense Production Act For Vaccines To Treat Monkeypox 
A group of Democratic members of Congress from New York on Wednesday called on President Biden to invoke the Defense Production Act to enhance the production of vaccines for monkeypox. In a letter to Biden, the lawmakers, led by New York Democratic Reps. Jerry Nadler and Ritchie Torres, said ,”It is clear that vaccine demand is quickly outpacing supply throughout the country.” (Choi, 8/17)

More on the monkeypox vaccine rollout —

Los Angeles Times: Second Dose Of Monkeypox Vaccine Now Available In Los Angeles
With a new shipment of monkeypox vaccines expected Wednesday, Los Angeles County public health officials will begin administering second doses for the first time and again open registration for first shots to those considered high risk. (Toohey, 8/17)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Racial Disparities Revealed In Monkeypox Vaccination Data
State data posted Wednesday shows that the monkeypox epidemic continues to disproportionately affect Black men, even while the share of vaccines going to Black men lags far behind. According to state Department of Public Health datas poted Wednesday, 71% of all monkeypox cases to date have been among Black men. (Pratt, 8/18)

The Hill: Monkeypox Response Continues To Face Hurdles After New Federal Guidance 
State and local health authorities are facing new obstacles in responding to monkeypox after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized dividing Jynneos vaccine doses into fifths to expand the available supply, with many authorities unsure about how to immediately adopt the new strategy. (Choi, 8/17)

The Washington Post: Inside America’s Monkeypox Crisis — And The Mistakes That Made It Worse
The behind-the-scenes clash with Bavarian Nordic, which has not previously been reported, was just the latest episode in a monkeypox response beset by turf wars, ongoing surprises and muddled messaging, with key partners frequently finding themselves out of sync as they race to catch up to a rapidly unfolding crisis. (Diamond, Nirappil and Sun, 8/17)

NBC News: Sex Between Men, Not Skin Contact, Is Fueling Monkeypox, New Research Suggests
In recent weeks, a growing body of scientific evidence — including a trio of studies published in peer-reviewed journals, as well as reports from national, regional and global health authorities — has suggested that experts may have framed monkeypox’s typical transmission route precisely backward. (Ryan, 8/17)

More on the spread of monkeypox —

ABC News: 9th Child In US Tests Positive For Monkeypox
A child in Oregon has tested positive for monkeypox, state health officials announced Wednesday, marking the ninth reported pediatric case in the U.S. "We have a known connection to a previously diagnosed case," Dr. Dean Sidelinger, health officer and state epidemiologist at the Oregon Health Authority, said in a press release. "This child did not get the virus at school, child care or another community setting." (Mitropoulos, 8/18)

CIDRAP: WHO: Monkeypox Cases Rose 20% In Past Week 
For the second week in row, monkeypox cases increased by about 20%, with most case increases seen in Europe and North America, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the WHO, more than 35,000 cases of monkeypox have now been reported from 92 countries and territories, with 12 deaths. (Soucheray, 8/17)

Becker's Hospital Review: NYC Health + Hospitals To Monitor Polio, Monkeypox Via Wastewater Surveillance
Next week, NYC Health + Hospitals will expand its wastewater surveillance program to test for polio and monkeypox, alongside COVID-19 and flu,, the New York City-based system said  Aug. 15. (Carbajal, 8/17)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Missouri Health Officials Raise Threat Level Of Monkeypox, Frustrated With Limited Vaccine Supply
State and local health officials are taking steps to fend off the spread of monkeypox across Missouri, but the limited supply of vaccine is frustrating those efforts. Gov. Mike Parson’s administration on Wednesday required that any cases of monkeypox be reported to state or local health departments within one day of detection. (Munz and Erickson, 8/17)

Chicago Tribune: New Monkeypox Advice For Illinois Schools; COVID-19 Rules Eased
Monitoring students and staff at Illinois schools for new and unexplained lesions is among the new monkeypox prevention guidance recommended this week by the state’s health department as officials pivot away from COVID-19 restrictions. (Cullotta and Swartz, 8/17)

San Francisco Chronicle: If SF Monkeypox Sufferers Reveal Contacts, Officials Will Reach Out
In an effort to clarify their stance on contact tracing for monkeypox, San Francisco health officials sought to reassure residents Wednesday that they are still reaching out to contacts of patients who are willing to reveal those associates — something just a fraction of infected people have done so far. (Asimov, 8/17)

Politico: COVID Can Impair Brain Function, Large Study Suggests 
Patients recovering from coronavirus infection suffer from increased rates of neurological and psychological problems, according to a wide-ranging observational study published Thursday. Researchers from Oxford University combed through more than a million patient files and discovered that, two years after infection, patients who had recovered from COVID-19 were at a higher risk of psychosis, dementia and "brain fog" when compared with patients who recovered from other respiratory diseases. (Martuscelli, 8/18)

Bloomberg: Covid’s Harmful Effects On The Brain Reverberate Years Later
Covid-19 survivors remain at higher risk of psychotic disorders, dementia and similar conditions for at least two years, according to a large study that highlights the mounting burden of chronic illness left in the pandemic’s wake. (Gale, 8/17)

Stat: Risk Of 'Brain Fog' Stays Elevated Two Years After Covid, Study Finds 
On variants, the risk of neuropsychiatric diagnoses rose, from 10% higher for anxiety to 38% for brain fog — after the Delta variant emerged than after the alpha version. Similar risks continued with Omicron, even though that variant has milder effects during the acute phase of infection. (Cooney, 8/17)

There's hope for those suffering from brain fog —

WSFA: UAB Study Gives Hope To Those Living With COVID Brain Fog
If you’ve had COVID-19 and still aren’t feeling as mentally sharp or on task as before, there’s good news. UAB researcher Dr. Gitendra Uswatte, Ph.D. and his colleagues report promising results in an ongoing trial to help those who are living with long COVID brain fog. “After treatment, the patients report a substantial decrease in the brain fog and that they are able to perform everyday activities, more effectively,” Uswatte explained. (Horton, 8/16)

Also —

Science: Blood Abnormalities Found In People With Long Covid 
An ambitious study of people with Long Covid, the mysterious, disabling symptoms that can trail a SARS-CoV-2 infection, has turned up a host of abnormalities in their blood. The clues add to a body of evidence hinting at drivers of the condition and potential treatments worth testing. They also suggest that, as many scientists and patients have suspected, Long Covid shares certain features with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), another condition thought to follow an infection. (Couzin-Frankel, 8/16)

NBC News: New Covid Boosters Expected Soon For Everyone Over Age 12
White House Covid coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said on Wednesday that the newly updated Covid boosters will be available to teens and adults "in a few short weeks." "I believe it’s going to be available and every American over the age of 12 will be eligible for it," Jha told NBC News' Lester Holt. (Lovelace Jr., 8/17)

More on covid vaccines and treatments —

ABC News: Novavax Seeks FDA Approval For COVID Booster 
"It's important for people to have a choice as they evaluate how to stay protected against COVID-19, and boosters are an invaluable tool to build upon immunity obtained from previous vaccinations," Stanley C. Erck, President and Chief Executive Officer of Novavax, said in a statement on Monday. (Mitropoulos, 8/17)

The Wall Street Journal: Moderna Names New CFO After Hasty Departure Of Predecessor
Moderna Inc. named a new finance chief roughly three months after the Covid-19 vaccine maker’s previous hire for the role departed abruptly due to an internal investigation under way at a prior employer. The Cambridge, Mass.-based biotechnology company on Wednesday said James Mock will start as its chief financial officer, effective Sept. 6, and David Meline, who has been filling in as CFO, will retire on the same day. (Williams-Alvarez, 8/17)

San Francisco Chronicle: Ivermectin Among Drugs That Failed To Help COVID-19 Patients, Large Study Finds
Three generic drugs failed to prevent severe COVID-19 outcomes, according to a study published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. They include the antimalarial ivermectin; fluvoxamine, which is used to treat depression; and metformin, which is used in diabetes patients. (Beamish and Vaziri, 8/17)

More on the spread of covid —

CIDRAP: Study: 56% Of Omicron-Infected Adults Didn't Know They Were Contagious
An observational study of 210 adults in California with detectable SARS-CoV-2 antibodies during an Omicron variant wave shows that 56% didn't know they had been infected, fueling concerns about asymptomatic transmission, according to a report today in JAMA Network Open. Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center led the study of adult employees and patients of the hospital in Los Angeles County who had at least two SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests 1 month or more apart. (Van Beusekom, 8/17)

Los Angeles Times: California Officials Warn Of Misleading COVID Test Results 
The risk of inaccurate results seems to be higher among symptomatic people infected with the latest dominant Omicron subvariant, BA.5, compared with earlier versions. This, experts say, further illustrates the importance of follow-up testing. “If your first home antigen test is negative, we recommend repeating it in 24 to 48 hours,” Dr. Ralph Gonzales, a UC San Francisco associate dean, said during a recent campus town hall. (Lin II and Money, 8/17)

Houston Chronicle: Free COVID-19 Testing In Houston Available At 2 Dozen Pharmacies
More than two dozen Houston pharmacies are now offering free COVID-19 testing as part of a nationwide program to improve access in underserved communities. The pharmacies are offering the free testing through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Increasing Community Access to Testing (ICATT) program, which has provided more than 41 million tests since April 2021. (MacDonald, 8/17)

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Nevada Only State In US With All Counties At ‘Low’ COVID Levels
COVID-19 in Clark County and the entire state has plummeted to low levels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as hospitalizations and reported new cases declined for the sixth straight week. Last week, Clark County’s levels were designated as medium, and the week before that as high. When levels are high, the CDC recommends that everyone wear a mask in public indoor spaces. (Hynes, 8/17)

In related news —

CIDRAP: Universal Healthcare Coverage Tied To COVID-19 Childhood Vaccine Uptake
Countries with more progress toward universal healthcare coverage (UHC) saw smaller decreases in childhood vaccination amid the health service delivery disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggests preliminary research published yesterday in PLOS Medicine. Using a difference-in-difference design, New York University researchers quantified the relationship between UHC and childhood vaccination rates among 195 countries and their ability to provide 12 of 14 vaccines from 2010 to 2020. (8/17)

Modern Healthcare: COVID-19 Pandemic Dents Medical Tourism Revenue
Tens of thousands of patients travel to the U.S. every year for medical care, often paying for expensive procedures out of their own pockets. Revenue from international patients seeking heart transplants, oncology treatment and other services grew more than 4% a year from 2015 to 2019, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission. In 2019 alone, the U.S. health system generated more than $1.2 billion from medical tourism. (Kacik, 8/17)

NBC News: For Some Students, Back To School Will Mean Better-Ventilated Classrooms
When students at the Gallipolis City School District in southeast Ohio return from summer break, they’ll be sitting in classrooms with air cleaned and freshened by almost $4 million in refurbishments. The district retrofitted once-inefficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems at five of its schools, adding new equipment with higher rated filters, automation and ultraviolet irradiation. (Bush, Gosk and Martin, 8/17)

The Wall Street Journal: FDA Approves Bluebird’s $2.8 Million Gene Therapy For Rare Blood Disease 
The Food and Drug Administration approved a gene therapy from Bluebird Bio Inc. that represents a potential cure for a rare blood disorder at a price of $2.8 million per patient, making it one of the nation’s most expensive drugs. The FDA on Wednesday cleared the treatment, Zynteglo, for patients who rely on regular blood transfusions because of a genetic disease called beta-thalassemia, which interferes with the production of hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. (Walker, 8/17)

The Boston Globe: Bluebird Bio’s First Gene Therapy For Rare Blood Disease Wins FDA Approval
Bluebird won approval for Zynteglo in Europe in 2019 but eventually shuttered its commercial operations there when payers refused to cover its previous $1.8 million price tag. The therapy treats the severe form of a disease called beta thalassemia, where a genetic mutation in the beta-globin gene impairs the ability of blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body. People with the condition require regular blood transfusions once or twice a month, and chelation therapies to reduce high levels of iron caused by the transfusions. (Cross, 8/17)

In other research —

The New York Times: New Method Improves Speed And Cost Of Birth Defect Testing 
After 10 years of effort, medical researchers at Columbia University have developed a very fast and cheap way to detect the extra or missing chromosomes that most often cause miscarriages or severe birth defects. The method, described Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, takes less than two hours using a palm-size device and costs $200 per use. With current testing procedures, women can end up paying $1,000 to $2,000, often out of pocket. (Kolata, 8/17)

Axios: Some NIH-Funded Trials Never Reported Results
The National Institutes of Health failed to sanction institutions and labs running government-funded clinical trials for not reporting their results despite requirements to do so, according to a new report from a federal watchdog. (Dreher, 8/17)

On hearing aids —

The Washington Post: Over-The-Counter Hearing Aids Will Soon Be Available. Here's What To Know.
The new class of devices will be designed to help people with self-perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, according to Barbara Kelley, executive director of the Hearing Loss Association of America, which has put together a tip sheet to guide consumers who stand to benefit. (Sellers, 8/17)

NPR: Over-The-Counter Hearing Aids Will Bring Relief, But With Some Confusion
"Medicare doesn't cover hearing aids or exams for fitting hearing aids," the government program's website states. "You pay 100% of the cost for hearing aids and exams." Many Americans might be surprised that the federal insurance program doesn't offer help to people who are most likely to need hearing aids. But it's by design. (Chappell, 8/17)

The Boston Globe: Right-Wing Groups Hit Boston Children’s With Barrage Of Threats Over Trans Health Program
The hospital, which in 2007 established the nation’s first pediatric and adolescent transgender health program, issued a statement late Tuesday saying that it “has been the target of a large volume of hostile internet activity, phone calls, and harassing emails including threats of violence toward our clinicians and staff.” “We are deeply concerned by these attacks on our clinicians and staff fueled by misinformation and a lack of understanding and respect for our transgender community,” the statement said. (Freyer and Lazar, 8/17)

In news about health care personnel —

Modern Healthcare: New Jersey Hospital, Anesthesia Group Sue Over Staffing
Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health hospital in Livingston, New Jersey, alleges that American Anesthesiology of New Jersey “chronically” understaffed the facility, forcing delayed and canceled surgeries and blaming it on industry-wide workforce shortages. The hospital's lawsuit in state court accuses North American Partners in Anesthesia, the private equity-owned parent company of American Anesthesiology, of prioritizing profits over patient care. (Christ, 8/17)

Connecticut Public: Hartford HealthCare Charged Workers For Meals Never Provided
Hartford HealthCare made a big promise back in 2019. Officials at the multi-billion dollar company said every employee would begin making at least $15 an hour starting in March 2019. (Thomas, 8/17)

The Boston Globe: Hospitals Furloughed And Laid Off Hundreds. Some Executives Still Saw Pay Increases
Hospitals furloughed and let go of hundreds of employees during the height of the pandemic in 2020, when forced shutdowns in elective surgeries decimated hospital revenues. But that didn’t stop some hospital executives from receiving compensation increases, new filings show. (Bartlett, 8/17)

Becker's Hospital Review: With Workplace Violence On The Rise, Some Health Systems Are Hiring Experts To Address It
Amid increased calls to address workplace violence, some health systems are hiring personnel specifically to focus on the issue. The directors often oversee areas of the organization related to safety and security.  Take Chicago-based UI Health, which is recruiting for a director of hospital safety and workplace violence prevention. (Gooch and Schoonover, 8/17)

More from the health care and insurance industries —

Modern Healthcare: Practice Resources Reports Breach Affecting 942k Patients
A ransomware attack at Practice Resources possibly exposed data on hundreds of thousands of consumers. The Syracuse, N.Y.-based revenue-cycle management company was hit by a ransomware attack in April, according to a notice detailing the incident and submitted to the California Attorney General’s Office. The company said it engaged third-party experts to secure its systems and investigate the scope of the incident, and in June determined the patient data of its provider customers may have been breached. (Kim Cohen, 8/17)

Becker's Hospital Review: How Big Tech Is Reinventing Healthcare
The Big Four tech companies — Alphabet, Amazon, Apple and Microsoft — are accelerating their pursuits of the healthcare market, and they're starting to hone their strategies and stake corners within the industry. Here is how these tech giants are ramping up their investments and collaborations in the healthcare space. (Diaz, 8/17)

KHN: Some Rural Hospitals Are In Such Bad Shape, Local Governments Are Practically Giving Them Away
Kyle Kopec gets a kick out of leading tours through the run-down hospitals his boss is snapping up, pointing out what he calls relics of poor management left by a revolving door of operators. But there’s a point to exposing their state of disrepair — the company he works for, Braden Health, is buying buildings worth millions of dollars for next to nothing. At a hospital in this rural community about a 90-minute drive northwest from Nashville, the X-ray machine is beyond repair. (Farmer, 8/18)

On medical debt and health care costs —

KHN: Upended: How Medical Debt Changed Their Lives 
Some lost their homes. Some emptied their retirement accounts. Some struggled to feed and clothe their families. Medical debt now touches more than 100 million people in America, as the U.S. health care system pushes patients into debt on a mass scale. Debtors are from all walks of life and all corners of the country. Here are their stories ― how they got into debt, what they’ve given up for it, and how they’re living with the burden. (Levey and Pattani, 8/18)

KHN: Sleepless Nights Over Her Children’s Future As Debts Pile Up 
Jeni Rae Peters’ budget has always been tight. But Peters, a single mom and mental health counselor, has worked to provide opportunities for her children, including two girls she adopted and a succession of foster children. One of her daughters had been homeless. Then two years ago, Peters was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. (Levey, 8/18)

KHN: Haunted For 13 Years By Debt From Childbirth, Then Rescued By A Nonprofit
Two months ahead of her due date with her second daughter, Terri Logan felt weighed down by stress. She was a high school math teacher in Union City, Georgia, and was ending her relationship with the baby’s father. One day the baby stopped moving. Logan went to the hospital, where her blood pressure spiked, her head throbbed, and she blacked out. Hours later, her daughter was born by cesarean section, weighing only 3 pounds. Logan had health insurance through work, but she was responsible for out-of-pocket charges. She and her baby were in a health crisis, so the issue of money didn’t come up: “That conversation just wasn’t had in that moment.” (Noguchi, 8/18)

KHN: Her Brother Landed In A Nursing Home. She Was Sued Over His Bill. 
Lucille Brooks was stunned to discover a nursing home in Monroe County, New York, was suing her. She had never been a patient there. Nor had her husband. “I thought this was crazy,” she said, figuring it had to be a mistake. The bill was for care her brother, James Lawson, received in summer 2019. He’d been hospitalized for complications from a diabetes medication. The hospital released him to the county-run nursing home, where Brooks had visited him a few times. No one ever talked to her about billing, she said. And she was never asked to sign anything. (Levey, 8/18)

The New York Times: C.D.C. Investigates ‘Fast-Moving’ E. Coli Outbreak 
Federal health officials said Wednesday that they were investigating an E. coli outbreak that has been linked to a growing number of illnesses in Ohio and Michigan. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that no food had been identified yet as the source of the “fast-moving” outbreak, which has sickened 14 people in Ohio and 15 in Michigan. Nine people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. (Levenson and Rubin, 8/17)

In updates on West Nile virus —

Fox News: West Nile Virus Detected In 2 New York City Residents As Infected Mosquito Population Soars
The New York City Health Department announced Tuesday that the West Nile virus was found in two people as the infected mosquito population reaches a new record. Two human cases were reported as the city's five boroughs deal with 1,068 mosquito pools that have tested positive for the virus, according to the city's health department. Compared to last year, NYC had a West Nile virus pool of 779. (Nieto, 8/17)

In news about Vibrio, Naegleria fowleri, and cyanobacteria —

AP: 2 Deaths In Florida Linked To Raw Oysters From Louisiana
A restaurant customer in Fort Lauderdale has died of a bacterial infection after eating raw oysters. A Pensacola man died the same way this month. Both cases involved oysters from Louisiana. Gary Oreal, who manages the Rustic Inn, told the South Florida SunSentinel that the man who died had worked years ago at the restaurant famous for garlic crabs. (8/17)

NBC News: 'Brain-Eating Amoeba' Suspected In Child's Death In Nebraska Officials Say
A child died in Nebraska this week of a suspected infection of Naegleria fowleri, also known as the “brain-eating amoeba,” health officials said Wednesday. Tests were conducted to make sure, but if confirmed it would be the first such death in the history of the state, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services said. (Helsel, 8/18)

Los Angeles Times: Water Officials Warn Visitors About Toxic Algae In Lake Elsinore, Big Bear Lake
State and regional water officials are urging people to stay out of the waters of Lake Elsinore and Big Bear Lake after elevated levels of algae were detected. The California State Water Resources Control Board and the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board are warning both fishermen and recreational users to stay out of the water. They also urge against eating any shellfish from the lake. (Luna, 8/17)

The CT Mirror: CT Plaintiffs Urge Biden To Rescind Trump-Era Medicaid Cuts
In response to a lawsuit filed by three disabled women in Connecticut over a Trump-era rule on Medicaid cuts, a top Democrat in the state Senate is calling on the Biden administration to rescind the regulation that critics say violates a law providing pandemic relief. (Hagen, 8/17)

North Carolina Health News: Have Medicaid? You Could Get Free Produce 
Since April 2020, 52-year-old Mary K has fought off one health problem after another: First, it was the rare flesh-eating bacterial infection necrotizing fasciitis and then infection with MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant strain of staph. Then came a case of pneumonia. (Donnelly-DeRoven, 8/18)

Politico: Groups To Sue Florida Medicaid Program Over Ban On Gender Affirming Care
A coalition of transgender-rights organizations is preparing to sue Florida to stop the state’s Medicaid regulator from banning coverage of gender-affirming treatments. Simone Chriss, director of the Southern Legal Counsel’s Transgender Rights Initiative, said on Wednesday that the coalition is expecting to file the case in federal court and will seek a preliminary injunction to halt the ban from going forward. (Sarkissian, 8/17)

NPR: Georgia Program Tackles Issue Of Heat-Related Deaths In High School Sports
According to research from the University of Georgia, between 1980 and 2009, 58 football players around the country died from heat-related illness. Most of them were in high school. The study, published in 2010, found that the number of football players dying from the heat was going up over time. Georgia was one of the worst states, leading the country in high school football player heat-related deaths. (Samuel, 8/17)

On gun violence —

The Washington Post: Kids Who Witness Parents Shot To Death Rarely Get Help For Trauma 
Bullets strike thousands of people in front of kids every year, but for the often-overlooked victims present when their moms and dads are gunned down, the trauma is unique and immense. (Cox, 8/17)

AP: School Shooter's Attorneys Drop Contentious Brain Exam 
Attorneys for Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz reversed course Wednesday and said they will not present at his ongoing penalty trial results of a highly contentious brain exam they had said supports their contention the mass murderer suffers from fetal alcohol syndrome. (Spencer, 8/17)

AP: Anti-Psychotic Drugs Ordered For Man Charged With Murder
The man accused of fatally shooting a man inside Richland’s Fred Meyer store was ordered to take mental health medications. Superior Court Judge Joe Burrowes ruled Tuesday that Eastern State Hospital can require Aaron Kelly, 40, to take the anti-psychotic Abilify to treat an unspecified schizophrenia spectrum or other psychotic disorder, Tri-City Herald reported. (8/17)

CIDRAP: Complications, Death In Pregnancy Rose During COVID-19 
Rates of severe pregnancy-related complications and severe maternal illness and death rose significantly amid the COVID-19 pandemic, find two retrospective US studies published late last week in JAMA Network Open. (Van Beusekom, 8/15)

CIDRAP: COVID-19 Tied To 4% Higher Healthcare Use In The 6 Months Post-Infection
COVID-19 patients early in the pandemic had 4% higher healthcare use in the 6 months after illness onset than matched controls, most notably for infection-related conditions, hair loss, bronchitis, pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis, and shortness of breath, finds a study today in JAMA Network Open. (8/12)

CIDRAP: Study Shows Link Between Flu Activity And Antibiotic Use In Hospitals
A retrospective analysis of US hospital data found that the use of certain inpatient antibiotics was strongly associated with influenza activity during the 2015 through 2019 viral respiratory seasons, researchers reported yesterday in Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology. (8/12)

Dallas Morning News: UT Dallas Researchers Explore Treatment To Improve PTSD Recovery
Two research groups at the University of Texas at Dallas are exploring a treatment that could improve the recovery of people experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Vagus nerve stimulation, or VNS, used with traditional treatments for PTSD, may help shorten the length of treatment, increase its effectiveness and make the process more tolerable for patients. (Rodriguez, 8/15)

The New York Times: The Abysmal Covid Vaccination Rate For Toddlers Speaks Volumes 
You would think that vaccination sites would have been swamped with parents rushing to vaccinate their young children against Covid after the Food and Drug Administration authorized the vaccines for the under-5 age group in June. But as of early August, around 5 percent of eligible children under 5 had received the first dose of the vaccine series. Worse, the number of them being immunized has been decreasing. (Aaron E. Carroll, 8/18)

The Washington Post: The Emergence Of Polio In New York Is An Emergency. And A Tragedy
Thanks to highly effective vaccines, cases of polio paralysis fell to below 100 in the 1960s. The last case of wild-type polio that originated in the United States was in 1979. My generation of physicians thought we’d never encounter this disease. (Leana S. Wen, 8/17)

Stat: History Doesn't Have To Repeat Itself With Stigma And Monkeypox
Ricky (not his real name), is a patient of mine: a young, gay man with a gentle soul and well-controlled HIV. He recently went to his local emergency department with a rash on his face, excruciating pain in his abdomen, and bright red blood that filled the toilet every time he had a bowel movement. (Ofole Mgbako, 8/18)

The Washington Post: California's New Law On High School Start Times Is A Victory For Sleepy Teens
Sleep deprivation is a major issue among teens, so much so that the American Academy of Pediatrics has been calling for later junior high and high school start times since 2014. It’s “an important public health issue,” they said, one with implications not just for safety but for “academic success.” (Helaine Olen, 8/17)

Bloomberg: California’s Later School Start Times Are A Promising Experiment
California high schoolers returning to class can look forward to a welcome back-to-school gift: more time to sleep. A new state law will require that public high schools start classes no earlier than 8:30 a.m., a half-hour later than the national average. The shift has the potential to improve students’ mental health and academic performance — so long as schools commit the time and money necessary to make it work. (8/17)

The Washington Post: Will Future Canadians Owe The Disabled An Apology For Euthanasia? 
Rebranded as “medical assistance in dying,” or MAID, the formerly taboo practice is now hailed in Canada as both humane medical care and essential to patient autonomy. It enjoys strong support in opinion polls and the full backing of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s federal government. (Charles Lane, 8/17)

The New York Times: America Needs More Caregiving Support 
On Tuesday President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, which contains parts of his Build Back Better agenda, including major climate investments and authorization for Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices. The law will reduce the cost of health care, slash carbon emissions to roughly 50 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, invest in clean energy vehicles and raise taxes on corporations, among other things. (Ai-jen Poo, 8/17)

The Tennessean: Nurses Must Be Central To The Conversation On Changing Health Care
Nursing is a calling unlike any other. Like most Americans, I have been incredibly moved by the images of nurses bravely serving COVID-19 patients, rightly earning the title of healthcare heroes. (Pamela R. Jeffries, 8/17)

Columbus Dispatch: Gene Therapy For Cancer Is No Science Fiction
A recent study published in Science Advances reports proof-of-concept results for a gene therapy cancer treatment. This study and the therapy it describes are novel and important for a few reasons. (Abbie Roth, 8/18)

Stat: Organ Transplantation Is At A Crossroads. Major Reform Is Needed 
In early August, the Senate Finance Committee held a bipartisan hearing co-chaired by Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) revealing that the organ procurement and transplant system in America is badly broken. (Blair L. Sadler and Alfred M. Sadler, Jr., 8/18)