First Edition: Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024

KFF Health News: A Teen’s Murder, Mold In The Walls: Unfulfilled Promises Haunt Public Housing
Blocks from where tourists stroll along the cobblestoned riverfront in this racially divided city, Detraya Gilliard made her way down the dark, ruptured sidewalks of Yamacraw Village, looking for her missing 15-year-old daughter. Like most other people living in one of the nation’s oldest public housing projects, Gilliard endured the boarded-up buildings and mold-filled apartments because it was the only place she could afford. (Clasen-Kelly and Rayasam, 8/22)

KFF Health News: Biden Administration Blocks Two Private Sector Enrollment Sites From ACA Marketplace
Federal regulators have blocked two private sector enrollment websites from accessing consumer information through the federal Obamacare marketplace, citing “anomalous activity.” The unusual step comes as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is under the gun to curb unauthorized enrollment and switching of Affordable Care Act plans by rogue agents. The agency received more than 200,000 complaints in the first six months of the year about such actions. (Appleby, 8/22)

NBC News: Judge Rules HIV-Positive Americans Cannot Be Banned From Joining Military
Americans with well-treated HIV can no longer be barred from enlisting in the U.S. military, a federal judge ruled Thursday, striking down the Pentagon’s last remaining policy limiting the service of those with the virus. “Defendants’ policies prohibiting the accession of asymptomatic HIV-positive individuals with undetectable viral loads into the military are irrational, arbitrary, and capricious.” ... wrote Judge Leonie Brinkema of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. (Sopelsa and Ryan, 8/21)

Modern Healthcare: Hospitals Hit With EMTALA Complaints Over Emergency Abortions
Hospitals left waiting for the Supreme Court to untangle contradictory federal and state laws on abortion and emergency medicine are coming under fire. Experts warned that providers in the 26 states with near-total abortion bans could become targets for scrutiny and financial repercussions after the Supreme Court declined to rule on a key abortion case in June. In the meantime, providers in those states face a fraught choice between risking state prison sentences for their employees or federal monetary repercussions. (Early, 8/21)

Central Florida Public Media: Planned Parenthood Clinics Offering IV Sedation For Painful IUD Procedures 
Orlando’s Planned Parenthood clinic is offering pain-relieving medication for those seeking placement of an intrauterine device for contraception. The clinic is offering IV sedation to encourage more women looking for protection to receive the procedure, as the state restricts access to abortions. IV sedation is also accessible in Sarasota, Tampa and Fort Myers clinics. (Pedersen, 8/21)

AP: It’s Not Just IUDs. Gynecologists And Patients Are Focused On Making Procedures Less Painful
Many relatively quick outpatient procedures can cause pain, including biopsies and examinations of the uterus and cervix. Gynecologists and patients say there need to be more conversations about options for local anesthetics — as well as other pain-relief options for these procedures. (Shastri, Bose and Hunter, 8/21)

Roll Call: In Picking Walz, Harris Upends Notion Of 'Women's Issues' 
When Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris picked her running mate earlier this month, she chose a politician many undecided voters are used to seeing: a white-haired, Midwestern man with typical American values. But in Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, she’s found something different: a male politician who frequently speaks about fertility treatments as a men’s issue. (DeGroot, Raman and Cohen, 8/21)

The Washington Post: Tim Walz Bolstered By Clinton, Pelosi And Oprah In Formal Debut As Harris’s VP 
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz formally accepted the Democratic vice-presidential nomination on Wednesday. ... Riffing on a Harris campaign theme, Walz said Democrats and Republicans mean different things when they say “freedom.” “When we Democrats talk about freedom, we mean the freedom to make a better life for yourself and the people that you love,” he said. “Freedom to make your own health-care decisions. And, yeah, your kids. Freedom to go to school without worrying about being shot dead in the hall.” (Viser and Wootson Jr., 8/22)

The Washington Examiner: Oprah Winfrey Makes Surprise DNC Appearance To Back Kamala Harris
Oprah Winfrey took time in her speech to champion reproductive rights and the right for women to decide when, or if, they have children. (Winfrey herself chose to forgo motherhood.) “If you cannot control when and how you choose to bring your children into this world and how they are raised and supported, there is no American dream,” said Winfrey as the crowd clapped. (Quarshie, 8/21)

AP: US Government Report Says Fluoride At Twice The Recommended Limit Is Linked To Lower IQ In Kids
A U.S. government report expected to stir debate concluded that fluoride in drinking water at twice the recommended limit is linked with lower IQ in children. The report, based on an analysis of previously published research, marks the first time a federal agency has determined — “with moderate confidence” — that there is a link between higher levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in kids. While the report was not designed to evaluate the health effects of fluoride in drinking water alone, it is a striking acknowledgment of a potential neurological risk from high levels of fluoride. (Stobbe, 8/21)

Reuters: Camp Lejeune Claims Over Contaminated Water Exceed 500,000 
The U.S. Navy has received more than 546,500 claims for compensation from people impacted by decades of contaminated water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, a new court filing shows, putting it squarely among the largest injury cases of all time. That number may fluctuate up or down by a few thousand, the government said in the filing. The U.S. Navy is reviewing additional claims received up to the Aug. 10 deadline and removing claims that are found to be duplicates. (Jones, 8/21)

Axios: How Long You Might Live Based On Where You're Born, Mapped
There's as much as a nearly 10-year difference in life expectancy between U.S. states, a new report finds. Hawaii (79.9 years), Massachusetts (79.6) and Connecticut (79.2) have the longest life expectancy at birth as of 2021, per a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis. Mississippi (70.9 years), West Virginia (71.0) and Alabama (72.0) have the shortest. (Fitzpatrick, 8/21)

The Boston Globe: Oxford Board Of Health Recommends 6 P.M. Curfew To Protect Residents From EEE
Health officials in Oxford are recommending residents stay indoors after 6 p.m. and protect themselves from mosquitoes after an elderly man was infected with Eastern equine encephalitis from a mosquito bite. The state last week raised the risk level for EEE in Oxford and neighboring Douglas, Sutton and Webster, after determining the man was exposed to the virus in Worcester County. ... In light of the increased risk, the four communities issued a joint public health advisory calling for the voluntary curfew and other safety measures. (McDonald, 8/21)

NBC News: New Covid Vaccine Expected To Be Approved Soon: When To Get It And More
The Food and Drug Administration is expected to approve the new Covid vaccine as early as Thursday, according to two sources familiar with the agency’s planning. It’s the third time the vaccines have been updated to match circulating strains since the original series. The shots should be available within days. The FDA and HHS declined to comment on the expected update. (Lovelace Jr. and Syal, 8/21)

Axios: Axios-Ipsos Poll: Uptick In Americans Feeling COVID Risk
Nearly one-third of Americans see COVID as a threat to their health, but the summertime wave of infections hasn't changed the widespread belief that the virus is no worse than seasonal flu, according to the latest Axios-Ipsos American Health Index. (Bettelheim, 8/22)

CNN: Covid Tied To Higher Risk Of Depression, Anxiety, PTSD And Other Conditions, With The Unvaccinated Most Affected, Study Shows 
Having a severe case of Covid-19 appears to be linked with an increased risk of subsequent mental illness, including depression and anxiety disorders, and a new study finds that the association is strongest among people who were not vaccinated against the disease. (Howard, 8/21)

CIDRAP: New Research Finds Link Between COVID-19 And Gestational Diabetes
COVID-19 infection during the first 21 weeks of pregnancy is associated with a slightly higher risk of gestational diabetes, according to an analysis of insurance claims by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers. The team published its findings this week in Clinical Infectious Diseases. (Schnirring, 8/21)

USA Today: Surprising New Long COVID Symptoms Show Up In Kids And Teens
A new study funded by the National Institutes of Health identified the most common long COVID symptoms in school-aged children and teenagers. Researchers found teenagers between 12 and 17 were more likely to report fatigue, pain and changes in taste and smell, whereas, younger schoolchildren between 6 and 11 were more likely to have difficulty focusing, sleep problems and stomach issues, according to the report published Wednesday in JAMA. (Rodriguez, 8/21)

New Scientist: Intestinal Parasites May Reduce Covid-19 Vaccine Effectiveness
Covid-19 vaccines may be less effective in people who have intestinal parasite infections, or roughly a quarter of the world’s population. This is suggested by experiments in mice infected with parasitic worms, who developed significantly weaker immunity after covid-19 vaccines than mice without parasitic infections. Previous research has shown that people with intestinal parasites have impaired immune responses to some vaccines, such as those for tuberculosis or measles. This is because the parasites suppress processes that vaccines trigger to confer immunity, such as the activation of pathogen-killing cells. Intestinal parasite infections are most prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions and often occur due to limited access to clean water and sanitation. (Wade, 8/21)

CNN: Mediterranean Diet May Reduce Covid-19 Risk, Study Finds 
A healthy diet has long been hailed by some experts as one potentially important factor influencing the risk of Covid-19, or how bad someone’s case gets. But a team of researchers in Indonesia looked into how a specific lifestyle might affect these odds — finding that following the Mediterranean diet may reduce your risk of getting Covid-19, according to a review published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One. (Rogers, 8/21)

San Francisco Chronicle: Santa Clara To Buy Private Hospital For $175 Million, Restore Services
The Bay Area’s largest county announced plans Wednesday to buy a private hospital that had been slated for major cutbacks — a move that county officials say will preserve critical medical care for the low-income community it serves. Santa Clara County has reached a tentative agreement with the owner of Regional Medical Center, a 250-bed hospital in East San Jose, to acquire the facility for $175 million. (Ho, 8/21)

Modern Healthcare: Hospitals Investing In Affordable Housing See Fewer ED Visits
Health systems investing in affordable community housing have seen significant decreases in inpatient and emergency department visits among patients experiencing homelessness. Hospitals are creating housing programs and partnering with local building developers, health departments and governments to connect patients to stable housing options. (Devereaux, 8/21)

Axios: Fight Over Health Noncompete Pacts Far From Over
Hospitals and other health providers will shift their attention to how states opt to police non-compete agreements now that a federal court has blocked a Federal Trade Commission ban on the widely used contracts. (Reed, 8/22)

Modern Healthcare: Quest Diagnostics To Acquire University Hospitals Lab Assets
Quest Diagnostics plans to acquire some outreach laboratory assets from University Hospitals. Quest and the Cleveland-based health system have entered a definitive agreement and expect the deal to close in the fourth quarter pending regulatory approval, the company said in a Wednesday news release. Financial terms were not disclosed. (DeSilva, 8/21)

CIDRAP: Deep-Sequencing Technique Provides More Complete Picture Of Resistant Bacteria In Hospitals 
A new genomic sequencing technique could help hospitals better track and control the spread of multiple drug-resistant pathogens, researchers reported yesterday in The Lancet Microbe. (Dall, 8/21)

Stat: Alzheimer’s Drug May Raise The Risk Of Brain Bleed In Patients With Down Syndrome
A year ago, after much fanfare and controversy, the Food and Drug Administration approved Eisai and Biogen’s lecanemab, an anti-amyloid drug that moderately slowed cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. But doctors have been hesitant to prescribe the drug and its pharmacological cousin, Eli Lilly’s donanemab, for people with Down syndrome because of a lack of safety data. (Broderick, 8/21)

Health News Florida: Nemours' Research Into Zika Virus As A Cancer Therapy Gets A $7 Million Boost 
Innovative research harnessing the Zika virus to destroy certain cancers is getting a “significant” boost through a $7 million donation to Nemours Children’s Health. The gift from the Pass It on to Kids Foundation, announced Tuesday, will also support the pediatric hospital system’s music therapy program. (Mayer, 8/21)

North Carolina Health News: Debate Heating Up Over Tracking Temperatures Of Mail-Order Medications 
As periods of extreme heat become more common in North Carolina and across the country, and global heat records keep getting shattered, public policymakers are paying more attention to the impact of climate change on health. A related topic that has been gaining attention only recently is the impact that extreme heat can have on prescription medications in transit — especially when those pharmaceuticals are delivered through mail-order shipments. (Blythe, 8/22)

Al Jazeera News: At Least 17 Killed In Blast At Pharma Factory In India 
An explosion at a pharmaceutical plant in India’s southern state of Andhra Pradesh has killed at least 17 people, according to a government official. A fire broke out following the blast on Wednesday at the privately held Escientia Advanced Sciences’s 40-acre manufacturing unit in the Anakapalli district. The company manufactures intermediate chemicals and active pharmaceutical ingredients, local media reports said. (8/21)

Stat: Defunct Pear's Substance Abuse Treatments Get A Second Life
Over a year after Pear Therapeutics filed for bankruptcy and shut down, its smartphone apps for people with substance use disorder and opioid use disorder are again available to patients. (Aguilar, 8/22)

CNN: Nearly Two-Thirds Of Supermarket Baby Foods Are Unhealthy, Study Finds 
The supermarket baby food aisle in the United States is packed with non-nutritious foods containing far too much sugar and salt and misleading marketing claims, a new study found. Sixty percent of 651 foods that are marketed for children ages 6 months to 36 months on 10 supermarkets’ shelves in the US failed to meet recommended World Health Organization nutritional guidelines for infant and toddler foods, according to the study, which was published Wednesday in the peer-reviewed journal Nutrients. (LaMotte, 8/21)

CIDRAP: US Announces More Support For Africa's Mpox Response 
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) yesterday announced an additional $35 million in emergency health assistance for the clade 1 mpox outbreak in Central and East Africa. In a statement, USAID said the announcement brings the total help for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and other affected countries to $55 million and that the new funding is pending congressional notification. (Schnirring, 8/21)

Bloomberg: Mpox Risks Heighten In Central Africa With Complex Mosaic Of Infection Patterns
As disease detectives rush to central Africa to quell a mushrooming mpox contagion, they’re finding a complex mosaic of infection patterns involving different viral strains and vastly different routes of infection. In the Democratic Republic of Congo’s gold-rich eastern region, a newly mutated virus is spreading mostly among adults through sexual contact. In other areas of the country, an older strain is spilling from infected wildlife to humans who hunt and handle the animals, leading to a deadly explosion of cases among children. (Gale and Kew, 8/22)

Reuters: Argentina Health Officials Rule Out Suspected Case Of Mpox On Grains Ship
Health officials in Argentina said on Wednesday that a test to determine if a crew member on a quarantined grains cargo ship was infected with the mpox virus had come back negative, according to a statement from the health ministry. In its statement, the health ministry said the individual tested negative for mpox, but positive for chicken pox. (8/21)

Stat: Merck Ebola Vaccine Ervebo Shown To Offer Substantial Protection 
Merck’s Ebola vaccine offered substantial protection to people vaccinated during the 2018-2020 outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with an effectiveness of 84% in those who had been vaccinated at least 10 days before being exposed to the virus, a new study reports. An earlier study had shown that people who were vaccinated but went on to develop the disease were more likely to survive the infection. (Branswell, 8/21)

AP: A Japanese Woman Who Loves Bananas Is Now The World's Oldest Person
Tomiko Itooka, a Japanese woman, became the world’s oldest living person at age 116, following the death of 117-year-old Maria Branyas, according to the Guinness World Records. Her age and birthdate — May 23, 1908 — were confirmed by the Gerontology Research Group, which validates details of people thought to be 110 or older, and put her at the top of its World Supercentenarian Rankings List. (McGill and Kageyama, 8/21)