First Edition: December 3, 2021

KHN: A Title Fight Pits Physician Assistants Against Doctors
After 23 years as a physician assistant, Leslie Clayton remains rankled by one facet of her vocation: its title. Specifically, the word “assistant.” Patients have asked if she’s heading to medical school or in the middle of it. The term confounded even her family, she said: It took years for her parents to understand she did more than take blood pressure and perform similar basic tasks. “There is an assumption that there has to be some sort of direct, hands-on oversight for us to do our work, and that’s not been accurate for decades,” said Clayton, who practices at a clinic in Golden Valley, Minnesota. “We don’t assist. We provide care as part of a team.” (Jordan Rau, 12/3)

KHN: New California Law Eases Aid-In-Dying Process
During her three-year battle with breast cancer, my wife, Leslie, graciously endured multiple rounds of horrifically toxic treatment to eke out more time with our two young children. But after 18 cancer-free months, the disease returned with a vengeance in June 2003. It fractured her bones and invaded her spinal canal, bathing her brain in malignancy. During the final six months, as she lay on her home hospice bed in constant pain, attached to a morphine drip around-the-clock while losing her eyesight and withering to a skeleton, the idea of ending her suffering by ending her life didn’t even enter into our conversations. (Bernard J. Wolfson, 12/3)

KHN: A Tale Of Two Medicaid Expansions: Oklahoma Jumps In, While Missouri Lags
Temp worker James Dickerson applied for Medicaid because it will be cheaper than his current health plan. Home health aide Sharon Coleman looks forward to having coverage that will cover a hospital stay. Incoming medical student Danielle Gaddis no longer worries a trip to the doctor will leave her in debt. All three are among the roughly 490,000 people newly eligible for Medicaid after Oklahoma and Missouri voters in 2020 approved expanding the federal-state public health insurance program for people with low incomes. In both states, people who earn up to 138% of the federal poverty level — about $18,000 per year for an individual — can now get the free coverage even if they don’t have disabilities. (Bram Sable-Smith, 12/3)

KHN: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Roe V. Wade On The Rocks
A Supreme Court majority appears ready to overturn nearly 50 years of abortion rights, at least judging by the latest round of oral arguments before the justices. And a new covid variant, omicron, gains attention as it spreads around the world. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet and Shefali Luthra of The 19th join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Blake Farmer of Nashville Public Radio about the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” episode. (12/2)

AP: Live Updates: California Reports 2nd Omicron Case In 2 Days
California is reporting its second confirmed case of the omicron COVID variant in as many days. The Los Angeles County public health department says a county resident is self-isolating after apparently contracting the infection during a trip to South Africa last month. The person’s symptoms are improving without medical care and some people who were in close contact with the traveler have tested negative for the virus and don’t have any symptoms, the department said. (12/3)

The New York Times: New York Reports Five Omicron Cases
New York State has confirmed its first five cases of the Omicron variant, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Thursday evening. At a rare joint news conference, the leaders encouraged residents to get vaccinated to protect themselves from the coronavirus and urged them not to panic. They said it was too soon to know how much of a threat the variant might pose to the state. “This is not a cause for major alarm,” Ms. Hochul said, adding that she was not announcing a shutdown or other drastic measures in response to the cases. (Fitzsimmons, 12/2)

The Washington Post: Omicron Covid Variant Has Higher Risk Of Reinfection Than Delta, South Africa Researchers Say
Scientists in South Africa say omicron is at least three times more likely to cause reinfection than previous variants such as beta and delta, according to a preliminary study published Thursday. Statistical analysis of some 2.8 million positive coronavirus samples in South Africa, 35,670 of which were suspected to be reinfections, led researchers to conclude that the omicron mutation has a “substantial ability to evade immunity from prior infection.” (Cheng, 12/3)

The New York Times: The E.U.’s Health Agency Says Omicron Could Be Dominant In Europe By Spring
The Omicron variant could become the dominant version of the coronavirus in Europe in the next few months, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control said on Thursday, as the continent faced a surge of new infections and deaths that has prompted many governments to tighten restrictions. The European Union’s infectious disease agency acknowledged in a report that there were “a number of uncertainties” related to the Omicron variant, including how transmissible it is, how likely it is to cause severe symptoms and how effective existing vaccines are against it. But preliminary data already suggests that Omicron, which carries a large number of mutations compared with the original virus, has a “substantial advantage” over previous versions of the virus, the agency said. (Pronczuk, Kitsantonis, Minder, Kumar and Specia, 12/2)

AP: WHO Says Measures Against Delta Work For Omicron Variant Too
World Health Organization officials in the Western Pacific say border closures adopted by some countries may buy time to deal with the omicron coronavirus variant, but measures put in place and experience gained in dealing with the delta variant should remain the foundation for fighting the pandemic. While a few regional countries are facing surges, COVID-19 cases and deaths in many others have decreased and plateaued, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific Dr. Takeshi Kasai told reporters Friday in a virtual news conference broadcast from Manila, Philippines. (Gomez, 12/3)

Stat: ‘Just Stupid Stuff’: Logistics And Lack Of Testing Stymied Finding The Omicron Variant In The U.S. 
After South African scientists alerted the world last week to the new, concerning Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, researchers here in the U.S. warned that the highly mutated strain was likely already circulating on American soil. It was just a matter of time before someone found it. On Thursday, health officials reported the country’s second Omicron infection, in a Minnesota man who attended an anime conference in New York days before his symptoms began. Notably, he had not traveled internationally, unlike the first case — a California resident recently returned from South Africa — indicating the occurrence of domestic transmission. But the timing of discovery has many wondering, “why did it take so long?” (Molteni, 12/2)

NPR: Sending the Right Message About the Omicron Variant Is Tricky
With the first case of omicron confirmed in California and more cases expected across the U.S., public health officials who know the difference between good and bad crisis communication say they can't afford to be quiet and wait until scientists know how risky the new variant is before they speak out. "We don't want to just be silent on the matter, because then that can cause fear and then that can allow for misinformation to creep in," says Elya Franciscus, the epidemiology operations manager for COVID-19 in Harris County, Texas. (Simmons-Duffin, 12/2)

Reuters: Roche Develops New Research Test Kits For Omicron Variant
"We are able to offer a test that can specifically identify the novel B.1.1.529 Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant to help better understand its spread and behaviour," Thomas Schinecker, head of Roche Diagnostics, said in a statement. While the WHO has said widely available tests can detect individuals infected with any variant, most PCR tests cannot distinguish between Omicron and Delta, the dominant and most infectious version of the virus. (Hughes Neghaiwi, 12/3)

Bloomberg: Covid Booster Shots: Six Vaccines Show Promise; Led By Pfizer, Moderna
A U.K. study testing seven different Covid-19 vaccines as booster doses found most of them increased antibodies, with shots from Moderna Inc. and the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE partnership performing best. The results, published Thursday, tested the vaccines in more than 2,800 volunteers 30 and older who had already received two doses of the AstraZeneca Plc or Pfizer shots. All seven vaccines boosted immunity after the Astra vaccine, compared with a placebo, while six raised antibody levels after Pfizer, the study found. (Ring and Anghel, 12/2)

Reuters: UK Study Finds MRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Provide Biggest Booster Impact
COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer (PFE.N) and Moderna (MRNA.O) that use mRNA technology provide the biggest boost to antibody levels when given 10-12 weeks after the second dose, a British study published on Thursday has found. The "COV-Boost" study was cited by British officials when they announced that Pfizer and Moderna were preferred for use in the country's booster campaign, but the data has only been made publicly available now. (Smout, 12/3)

The Washington Post: Delta Variant Poses Threat To U.S. While Experts Await Omicron Data
While the United States braces for the unknowns of omicron, which has now been detected in Minnesota, St. Cloud Hospital in the central part of the state is still deep in a battle with the delta variant of the coronavirus. Beds have been full for seven weeks with a flood of mostly unvaccinated patients, a hospital official said. The hospital routinely turns down other overwhelmed facilities trying to transfer covid-19 patients — sometimes saying no 15 or 20 times a day. (Nirappil and Shammus, 12/2)

AP: 'The Fire That's Here': US Is Still Battling Delta Variant
While all eyes are on the new and little-understood omicron variant that is popping up around the country, the delta form of the coronavirus isn’t finished wreaking havoc in the U.S., swamping hospitals with record numbers of patients in the Midwest and New England. “Omicron is a spark that’s on the horizon. Delta variant is the fire that’s here today,” said Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the state Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Maine, where an unprecedented 334 people were in the hospital with COVID-19 as of midweek. (Hollingsworth, 12/3)

Bloomberg: New York Reports Most Covid-19 Cases Since January
New York state reported 11,300 new Covid-19 cases, the most since January, as dozens of hospitals neared capacity. Total patients hospitalized for the virus have climbed by more than 1,000 in a month, reaching 3,093 on Wednesday. As of Thursday, 56 hospitals in the state had a bed capacity of 10% or less, including Albany Medical Center Hospital, Mercy Hospital of Buffalo, Long Island Jewish Medical Center and Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, according to the state health department. (Clukey, 12/2)

Bloomberg: Delta Sends Hospital Admissions Up In 39 States As Omicron Lands
Omicron is stealing most of the attention, but it’s the delta variant of Covid-19 that’s pressuring the U.S. health-care system. The seven-day average of hospital admissions with confirmed Covid-19 has climbed 18% in the past two weeks to 6,691, the highest since Oct. 13, according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services data. The numbers are ticking higher in 39 states and the nation’s capital. (Levin, 12/2)

The Boston Globe: Hospitals Stagger Under Strain As COVID-19 Cases Reach Highest Level Since Winter
New COVID-19 cases continue to mount at an alarming rate, the state reported Thursday, with more patients streaming into already-strained hospitals just as the new Omicron strain of the virus appears to be taking a deeper hold in the United States. Massachusetts reported the state had its largest single-day case count on Wednesday since last winter’s surge, with 5,170 new cases and 989 patients with COVID-19 in the hospital. And with several more confirmed cases of Omicron reported in other states, President Biden on Thursday proposed a plan to head off further spread of the virus as the cold weather and holiday season drive more people to socialize in confined indoor spaces. (McCluskey, Finucane, and Freyer, 12/2)

Los Angeles Times: San Diego County Jails Lock Down Amid Coronavirus Surge
A new crush of coronavirus cases is running through San Diego County jails, infecting inmates and staff alike and prompting a systemwide lockdown to try to control the spread of the virus. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said a total of 125 inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus in the last week. Officials are awaiting results for an additional 188 people. (McDonald and Davis, 12/2)

The New York Times: Missouri Withheld Data Showing Effectiveness Of Mask Mandates
Mask mandates were effective as the Delta variant of the coronavirus was driving a surge in Covid-19 cases across Missouri, according to an analysis that the state’s Department of Health and Senior Services conducted in early November. But the state did not immediately share that data with the public. Instead, the information was released on Wednesday, a month later, because of a public records request by The Missouri Independent, a nonprofit news organization that reported the findings, and the Documenting Covid-19 project at the Brown Institute for Media Innovation. (Holpuch, 12/2)

The New York Times: New York City Sets Vaccine Mandate For Religious And Private School Workers 
New York City will require employees at yeshivas, Catholic schools and other private schools to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, in what is believed to be the largest effort in the nation to force religious schools to adhere to a vaccine mandate. The new directive, which was announced on Thursday, is expected to affect roughly 930 schools and 56,000 employees, city officials said. They will have to show proof they received the first dose of a vaccine by Dec. 20. (Fitzsimmons, 12/2)

AP: New Jersey GOP Lawmakers Defy Vaccine Mandate
Disorder and confusion erupted in the halls outside the New Jersey Assembly on Thursday as several Republican lawmakers defied a new requirement to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test and were blocked by state troopers— albeit briefly — from entering the ornate chamber. Hours later, a state appellate court handed a victory to Republicans who had sued to block the proof-of-vaccination requirement, granting the GOP’s application for a stay of the order and setting a potential hearing date for later this month. It was not immediately clear what effect the ruling would have on the requirement. (Catalini, 12/3)

Modern Healthcare: Providers In Limbo After COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Paused
Hospitals and health systems are in a holding pattern after a federal judge in Louisiana temporarily blocked a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers, bringing both relief and uncertainty to some providers. The mandate, subject to a preliminary injunction under a ruling Tuesday, could still be reinstated. The federal government has appealed the decision, and even if the court ultimately were to rule for the Republican officials who sought to invalidate President Joe Biden's policy, the government likely would appeal. Other courts are considering similar lawsuits filed by other GOP officeholders. The issue could go all the way to the Supreme Court, said Laurel Cornell, a partner at the law firm Fisher Phillips. (Goldman, 12/2)

AP: Unvaccinated Nevada State Workers To Pay Insurance Surcharge
Nevada will be the first state to charge state workers enrolled in public employee health insurance plans a surcharge if they aren’t vaccinated. The state Public Employees’ Benefit Program Board voted on Thursday to charge unvaccinated workers up to $55 per month to offset the costs of testing those who haven’t gotten shots are required to undergo in certain workplaces. “This is pandemic has been shouldered on the burden of everyone. And now this particular burden — the testing — should be shouldered on the burden of those who refuse to (be vaccinated),” said DuAne Young, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak’s policy director. (Metz, 12/3)

AP: Governor, AG Sue Defense Department Over Vaccine Requirement
Oklahoma’s Republican governor and the state attorney general filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday, challenging the Defense Department’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate for the Oklahoma National Guard. In a statement, Gov. Kevin Stitt argued that the Biden administration’s defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, overstepped his constitutional authority by subjecting the National Guard to the mandate, which applies to active-duty military members. (12/3)

The Washington Post: Federal Mask Mandate For Airplanes Extended Through March 18
The Biden administration on Thursday extended a requirement that people wear masks on airplanes, trains, buses and other modes of transportation through March 18. The extension of the federal mask mandate, which had been set to expire next month, is one of a series of actions the White House announced aimed at allaying concerns about the emergence of the new omicron variant. The U.S. reported its first case of the variant Wednesday. (Aratani, 12/2)

The Wall Street Journal: Biden To Toughen Testing For International Travelers To Slow Omicron
President Biden on Thursday announced plans to tighten up Covid-19 testing timelines for travelers entering the U.S. and extend a mask mandate on airplanes and other public transportation as part of a broad administration effort to combat the Omicron variant. International travelers coming to the U.S. will have to test within a day of departure, regardless of vaccination status, rather than the 72 hours currently required for vaccinated travelers, Mr. Biden said. The new testing rules will take effect on Monday, Dec. 6, at 12:01 a.m. ET, according to a senior administration official who said airline industry representatives were notified of the timing Thursday. The requirements apply both to U.S. citizens and foreign nationals flying into the country. (Armour and Siddiqui, 12/2)

The New York Times: Biden Vows To Fight Omicron With ‘Science And Speed’
President Biden, confronting a worrisome new coronavirus variant and a potential winter surge, laid out a pandemic strategy on Thursday that includes hundreds of vaccination sites, boosters for all adults, new testing requirements for international travelers and free at-home tests. After nearly a year of pushing vaccination as the way out of the pandemic, Mr. Biden has been unable to overcome resistance to the shots in red states and rural areas. His new strategy shifts away from a near-singular focus on vaccination and places a fresh emphasis on testing — a tacit acknowledgment by the White House that vaccination is not enough to end the worst public health crisis in a century. (Gay Stolberg, 12/2)

The New York Times: In Biden’s Plan For Free Rapid Tests, Legwork Will Be Required 
After a primary focus on vaccination, the White House announced on Thursday that private health insurers would soon have to reimburse patients for such tests. It also said it would make 50 million free tests available for uninsured Americans, to be distributed through health clinics and other sites in rural and underserved communities. But for consumers who do have insurance, the White House approach will require some legwork. It left some health policy experts questioning why the United States does not purchase tests on behalf of all Americans and provide them at little to no cost, as some European countries have done. Instead, Americans will have to purchase tests and then submit the receipts for reimbursement. (Kliff and Abelson, 12/2)

Politico: Biden Seeks To Require Private Health Plans To Pay For At-Home Covid Tests
The Biden administration today said it would soon require private health insurers to cover the cost of at-home Covid-19 tests as part of an effort to tamp down infections during the winter months. The new policy means that the more than 150 million Americans with private coverage will be able to get reimbursed for the rapid tests as long as they submit their expenses for reimbursement. (Lim and Cancryn, 12/2)

The Hill: Manchin To Vote To Nix Biden's Vaccine Mandate For Larger Businesses
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said on Thursday night that he is supporting a GOP effort to nix President Biden’s vaccine mandate for larger businesses, which is expected to get a vote in the Senate next week. “Let me be clear, I do not support any government vaccine mandate on private businesses. That’s why I have cosponsored and will strongly support a bill to overturn the federal government vaccine mandate for private businesses," Manchin said in a statement. (Carney, 12/2)

The New York Times: Government Shutdown Averted As Congress Passes Spending Bill 
With less than 36 hours before funding was set to lapse, lawmakers raced to unite behind a deal that would keep the government open through Feb. 18 and provide $7 billion for the care and resettlement of Afghan refugees. The House voted 221 to 212 to approve the measure, with just one Republican, Representative Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, joining Democrats in support. The Senate then cleared the bill on a 69-to-28 vote, sending it to President Biden’s desk for his signature. Nineteen Republicans joined all 50 Democrats in supporting the measure. The action came after senators voted down an amendment to bar funding to carry out Mr. Biden’s vaccine mandates for tens of millions of American workers, including many in the private sector. (Cochrane, 12/2)

Politico: Congress Thwarts Shutdown After Vaccine Mandate Clash
Congress averted a government shutdown Thursday night after Senate leaders mollified a group of Republicans who demanded a vote targeting President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate. The Senate passed an 11-week stopgap spending bill in a 69-28 vote, sending the measure on for Biden’s signature. The legislation, known as a continuing resolution, will keep government funding at levels set almost a year ago, when Donald Trump was president. (Emma, Scholtes and Ferris, 12/2)

Modern Healthcare: Federal Spending Deal Leaves Looming Medicare Cuts In Place
Congressional leaders have struck a deal to avert a government shutdown, but they didn't include a major priority for healthcare providers: preventing significant Medicare reimbursement cuts that are slated to take effect next month. Medicare providers stand to lose about $36 billion in reimbursements stemming from a 4% cut set to take effect in January, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. (Hellman, 12/2)

Stat: Hospitals And Doctors Fail To Stop End-Of-Year Medicare Cuts For Now
Hospitals and physicians lost a lobbying battle to stave off Medicare cuts of up to 10% in a must-pass government spending bill, though the defeat may not be final. Lawmakers reached a bipartisan deal on Thursday that would extend government funding at current levels through Feb. 18, with very few extra provisions added on. They chose not to stop cuts, some of which are set to take effect Dec. 31, that could reduce Medicare pay by 6% for hospitals and as much as 10% for physicians. (Cohrs, 12/2)

Fox News: Lawmakers React To Mississippi Supreme Court Abortion Case
Democrats and Republicans alike told Fox News that the Supreme Court should not have the final say when it comes to abortion access. "The state of Mississippi has really certainly led a courageous fight in order to make sure that these are decided on the state level, that this kind of thing is decided by elected officials, not the Supreme Court," Rep. Michelle Fischbach, a Minnesota Republican, told Fox News. And Michigan Democrat Rep. Haley Stevens noted: "We don't need the Supreme Court intervening between a woman and her doctor." (Michael Raasch and Wall, 12/2)

Stat: Califf Asks Woodcock To Stay In FDA Leadership Role If He’s Confirmed
Robert Califf, President Biden’s pick to lead the Food and Drug Administration, has asked Janet Woodcock, who has served as the FDA’s acting commissioner for the last 11 months, to stay on in a leadership role at the agency should he be confirmed by the Senate, two sources with knowledge of the discussion confirmed to STAT. It’s still not clear exactly what Woodcock’s role would be or how she would split responsibilities with Califf, should she accept his offer. The most obvious role would be principal deputy commissioner, a position that amounts to second-in-charge at the agency and has been vacant since Amy Abernethy left it in April. (Florko, 12/2)

The Hill: Adams: Maternal Health Is In 'A Crisis Within A Crisis'
Rep. Alma Adams (D-N.C.) raised alarm Thursday about the quality of maternal health around the country, saying American women are dying in childbirth more than other wealthy countries — and are now dealing with an additional public health crisis. “The state of maternal health is still in crisis,” Adams, the co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, said at The Hill’s Investing in Maternal and Infant Health event. (Schonfield, 12/2)

NPR: 21 States Poised To Ban Or Severely Restrict Abortion If Roe V. Wade Is Overturned
When the Supreme Court hands down its decision in a highly-watched Mississippi abortion case this summer, access to legal abortion could end for more than 100 million Americans, including those living in nearly every Southern state and large swaths of the Midwest. Twenty-one states are poised to immediately ban or acutely curtail access to abortions if the Supreme Court chooses to overturn or weaken Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that for nearly 50 years has guaranteed women's right to seek an abortion, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group in favor of abortion rights. (Sullivan, 12/2)

Modern Healthcare: 13M People Delayed Or Didn't Fill Prescription Drugs Pre-Pandemic
An estimated 13 million adults delayed getting or didn't fill prescription drugs prior to the COVID-19 pandemic due to cost, according to a new survey. More than one-quarter of Medicare beneficiaries and 5.3% of privately insured adults spent more than 1% of their household income on their out-of-pocket prescription drug costs, according to the Urban Institute's estimated annual averages of 2018 and 2019 Medicare Expenditure Panel Survey data from nearly 30,000 Americans. More than 3% of Medicare beneficiaries—and nearly 7% of beneficiaries with unmet prescription drug needs—spent more than 10% of their household income on prescription drugs. (Kacik, 12/2)

AP: New Data Suggests 1 In 44 US Children Affected By Autism
New autism numbers released Thursday suggest more U.S. children are being diagnosed with the developmental condition and at younger ages. In an analysis of 2018 data from nearly a dozen states, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that among 8-year-olds, 1 in 44 had been diagnosed with autism. That rate compares with 1 in 54 identified with autism in 2016. U.S. autism numbers have been on the rise for several years, but experts believe that reflects more awareness and wider availability of services to treat the condition rather than a true increase in the number of affected children. (Tanner, 12/2)

AP: US Jobless Claims Rise By 28,000, But Still Low At 222,000
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week even though the U.S. job market has been rebounding from last year's coronavirus recession. Jobless claims climbed by 28,000 to 222,000 from the previous week's 52-year low 194,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week ups and downs, fell below 239,000, a pandemic low. (Wiseman, 12/2)

The Wall Street Journal: Antonio Brown, Two Other NFL Players Suspended For Misrepresenting Vaccine Status
The NFL suspended Tampa Bay Buccaneers star wide receiver Antonio Brown for three games after he “misrepresented” his vaccination status, two weeks after he was accused by his former chef of procuring a fake vaccination card. Teammate Mike Edwards and free agent John Franklin III, a former Buccaneer, were also suspended by the league for misrepresenting their vaccination status and violating the league’s pandemic protocols. The Buccaneers, the reigning Super Bowl champions, had previously said that every player was fully vaccinated against Covid-19. (Beaton and Radnofsky, 12/2)

The Wall Street Journal: LeBron James Cleared To Return By NBA After New Round Of Covid Tests
Two days after LeBron James was sidelined by the league’s health and safety protocols because he registered conflicting Covid-19 results, the NBA’s biggest star is back after the league said that subsequent testing determined that he was not a positive case. James, who is vaccinated, was ruled out indefinitely on Tuesday after he tested positive for Covid in a sample collected on Monday, according to the NBA, which issued a statement outlining his testing results in unusual detail on Thursday night. (Cohen, 12/2)

CIDRAP: Moderna Vaccine A Bit Better Against COVID-19 Than Pfizer, Study Finds
In the first head-to-head comparison of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, Moderna edged out its competition with a 21% lower risk of infection and a 41% lower risk of hospitalization over 24 weeks, according to a study yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). A team led by researchers from Harvard University and the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) analyzed the electronic medical records of veterans nationwide, almost all of whom received two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from Jan 4 to May 14, 2021. The study period was dominated by the SARS-CoV-2 Alpha (B117) variant. (Van Beusekom, 12/2)

CIDRAP: Monoclonal Antibody Lenzilumab Boosts Survival In COVID Hospital Patients
The neutralizing monoclonal antibody lenzilumab significantly raised survival without the use of mechanical ventilation in hospitalized COVID-19 patients and had a good safety profile, according to a phase 3 clinical trial yesterday in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. A team led by Mayo Clinic researchers enrolled 520 hospitalized COVID-19 pneumonia patients from 29 sites in the United States and Brazil from May 5, 2020, to Jan 27, 2021; 479 patients were included in a modified intention-to-treat population. Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either three intravenous 600-milligram (mg) doses of lenzilumab or a placebo given 8 hours apart. (12/2)

CIDRAP: CDC: Homeless Americans Have Low COVID-19 Vaccination Rates
Today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that just 19% to 45% of the homeless population in six metropolitan areas were fully vaccinated against COVID-19. To assess coverage levels, the CDC tracked vaccination coverage from Dec 13, 2020, to Aug 31, 2021, in six US metro areas: Chicago; Minneapolis; Los Angeles; Detroit; Washington, DC; and Fairfax, Virginia. (12/2)

AP: Scientists Use Stem Cells To Create Models Of Pre-Embryos 
Scientists are using human stem cells to create a structure that mimics a pre-embryo and can serve as a research alternative to a real one. They say these “blastoids” provide an efficient, ethical way to study human development and pursue biomedical discoveries in fertility and contraception. The latest effort was detailed Thursday in the journal Nature. The structures aren’t embryos, but scientists nevertheless didn’t let them grow past two weeks in deference to longstanding ethical guidelines. (Ungar, 12/2)

NBC News: Lead, Mercury, Other Pollutants Could Affect Birth Ratios Of Boys To Girls
Lead, mercury and other pollutants could be affecting the ratio of boys to girls born each year, according to a study published Thursday in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS Computational Biology. The analysis, which reviewed data from about half of the U.S. population and everyone in Sweden, suggested common pollutants are affecting children before they’re born and having similar effects across large groups of people and on separate continents. (Bush, 12/2)

Reuters: Bayer's Nubeqa Drug Improves Survival In Prostate Cancer Trial
Bayer (BAYGn.DE) said a combination therapy including its Nubeqa drug was shown to prolong the lives of men suffering from metastatic prostate cancer in a clinical study, underpinning the company's hopes for the drug to become a key sales driver. Nubeqa, also known as darolutamide, improved overall survival in a combination with standard care when compared to standard care alone, which was the primary goal of the trial, the German company said in a statement on Friday. (Burger, 12/3)

Stat: Virtual Care Companies Rush To Ease Access To Covid-19 Antivirals
As two new antiviral pills for Covid-19 approach emergency authorization, experts are concerned that a lack of public health infrastructure — especially easy access to fast-turnaround testing and quickly filled prescriptions — will prevent them from making a meaningful dent in the pandemic. “We know that these antivirals are going to have a window of opportunity where their effectiveness is optimal, and it can be difficult to get an appointment and get a prescription,” said infectious disease specialist Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. (Palmer, 12/2)

Modern Healthcare: Mental Health Startup Quartet Health Teams Up With Independence Health Group
Quartet Health, a startup that uses analytics to connect patients with mental health solutions that fit their needs and preferences, is teaming up with insurer Independence Health Group to make mental healthcare available to all Independence members, according to a news release Thursday. (Brady, 12/2)

Modern Healthcare: Northwell Health Signs Deal, Launches Platform For Patient Medical Information
New York-based provider Northwell Health and Playback Health, a software technology company, are collaborating on an engagement platform to help patients better retain their healthcare data. The multi-year agreement will launch Playback's technology at select Northwell Health clinical sites, allowing patients to more easily engage with providers and understand their diagnoses, the companies announced on Tuesday. (Devereaux, 12/2)

Stat: Former Immunomedics Executives Are Charged With Insider Trading
Two former executives at Immuomedics were charged with insider trading by U.S. authorities in connection with information about late-stage clinical trial results of a promising cancer drug, which later prompted Gilead Sciences (GILD) to buy the company. Usama Malik, who had been chief financial officer, and Lauren Wood, the former chief communications officer, were arrested for purchasing Immunomedic stock shortly before positive trial results were released publicly in April 2020. At the time, the pair was romantically involved and lived together in Washington, D.C., according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in New Jersey. (Silverman, 12/2)

Crain's New York Business: New York Providers Push for Education-Related Reforms to Combat Nursing Shortages
Nursing shortages in New York made headlines this fall when Lewis County General Hospital announced it would stop delivering babies for lack of vaccinated nurses in its maternity ward. Then Mount Sinai South Nassau temporarily closed its emergency department in Long Beach last week, blaming the same problem. Such events have shed light on what stakeholders said is a longstanding, statewide shortage of registered nurses and nurse practitioners. The shortage predates the COVID-19 pandemic, they said. (Kaufman, 12/2)

AP: Potential Delay Of New Long-Term Care Payroll Tax Considered
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday he is talking to lawmakers about a potential delay in the collection of a mandatory payroll tax to fund Washington state’s new long-term care program. On Wednesday, Senate Democratic leadership sent Inslee a letter asking him to delay implementation of the premium assessment — set to start in January — until Jan. 1, 2023, saying that it would allow the Legislature to address concerns about the program. (La Corte, 12/3)

The Hill: South Carolina Nurse Indicted, Accused Of Creating Fake COVID-19 Vaccine Cards
A nurse in South Carolina has been accused of creating fake COVID-19 vaccination cards and lying to authorities when approached about these allegations. As The State newspaper reported, Tammy McDonald, a registered nurse and director of nursing at a rehabilitation center, was indicted by a federal jury on Nov. 23, per court documents that were made public on Thursday. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges. (Choi, 12/2)

Bloomberg: Maine Struggles To Give Covid Boosters Due To Pharmacy Staffing Shortages 
Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., a critical player in the U.S. vaccination campaign, has canceled some booster-shot appointments in Maine due to staffing issues, a state health official said. People began reporting the issue on Twitter last week to Nirav Shah, the director of the northern New England state’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Shah said he contacted Walgreens, thinking he could help if there was a supply shortfall. (LaVito, 12/2)

Los Angeles Times: O.C. Education Board Sues Newsom Over COVID State Of Emergency
For the second time in recent months, the Orange County Board of Education is mounting a legal challenge to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s pandemic-related state of emergency declaration. In August, the California Supreme Court declined to hear the board’s previous petition seeking to overturn Newsom’s emergency rule-making authorities that included allowing state officials to issue a mask mandate for K-12 students this summer ahead of the new school year. (San Román, 12/2)