First Edition: Feb. 3, 2022

KHN: Pandemic-Fueled Shortages Of Home Health Workers Strand Patients Without Necessary Care 
Frail older adults are finding it harder than ever to get paid help amid acute staff shortages at home health agencies. Several trends are fueling the shortages: Hospitals and other employers are hiring away home health workers with better pay and benefits. Many aides have fallen ill or been exposed to covid-19 during the recent surge of omicron cases and must quarantine for a time. And staffers are burned out after working during the pandemic in difficult, anxiety-provoking circumstances. (Graham, 2/3)

KHN: Mental Health Therapists Seek Exemption From Part Of Law To Ban Surprise Billing
Groups representing a range of mental health therapists say a new law that protects people from surprise medical bills puts providers in an ethical bind and could discourage some patients from care. The therapists take no issue with the main aim of the legislation, which is to prevent patients from being blindsided by bills, usually for treatment received from out-of-network medical providers who work at in-network facilities. Instead, they are concerned about another part of the law — a price transparency provision — that requires most licensed medical practitioners to give patients detailed upfront cost estimates, including a diagnosis, and information about the length and costs involved in a typical course of treatment. That’s unfitting for mental health care, they say, because diagnoses can take time and sometimes change over the course of treatment. (Appleby, 2/3)

Philadelphia Inquirer: A Cancer Cure? Penn Treatment Kept 2 Men’s Chronic Leukemia In Remission For A Decade
The first two recipients of a groundbreaking cancer treatment developed at the University of Pennsylvania remained cancer-free a decade later, leading researchers to utter a word that’s typically taboo in cancer circles: cure. Penn researchers in 2010 treated their first chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients with CAR-T therapy, which uses the body’s own immune system to fight cancer. In a paper published Wednesday in the journal Nature, researchers report that their first two patients were still cancer-free 10 years after their treatment. What’s more, the cells were still present, protecting against future lymphoma invaders. (Gantz, 2/2)

CNN: T-Cell Immunotherapy Tied To 10-Year Remission In Two Leukemia Patients, Study Finds
Based on the study results, "we can now conclude that CAR-T cells can actually cure patients with leukemia," June said. The CAR-T cells are an immunotherapy treatment designed to treat leukemia by harnessing the body's own immune system to target the cancer. The therapy sends a patient's immune cells to a lab to be genetically modified using a virus and gives the cells the ability to recognize and kill the source of the cancer. (Howard and Hassan, 2/2)

USA Today: After A Decade, Blood Cancer Treatment Deemed A 'Cure' In Two Patients
"Oncologists, cancer doctors, researchers don't use words like 'cure' lightly or easily or frankly very often," said Dr. Doug Porter, who treated Olson for his leukemia. "We really believe we can start to use the word 'cure.' "Others are stopping short of that word but remain impressed by the promise of so-called CAR-T cells, a "living drug" that has now been given to tens of thousands of patients, regularly providing extra years of healthy life. In a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature, the Penn team showed that CAR-T cells given to Olson and another patient, William Ludwig, in 2010 were still present. In a dish those cells were still able to kill leukemia cells. (Weintraub, 2/2)

Stat: With Cancer Biomarkers, Experts Say The Future Has Finally Arrived 
Back in 2000, when President Clinton called a tie in the race to map the human genome, scientists forecasted a medicinal revolution, one in which scientists could ferret out the genetic roots of every known cancer and match patients with personalized treatments. That did not happen, for reasons of biological complexity, technological immaturity, and perhaps a little scientific hubris. But after two decades of mapping the kaleidoscopic details of human DNA, researchers believe they finally have the tools and techniques to live up to those lofty promises. (Garde, 2/2)

NPR: Here's How The Biden Administration Says It Will Halve Cancer Death Rates By 2047
President Biden announced on Wednesday that he is reigniting "Cancer Moonshot," the project he spearheaded as vice president during the Obama administration. "My message today is this: We can do this. I promise you, we can do this," Biden said in Wednesday remarks at the White House. "All those we lost, all those we miss. We can end cancer as we know it." The initiative aims to dramatically reduce the national death rate from cancer, as well as improve the experience of survivors and family members of those living with the disease. In a seven-page fact sheet announcing the relaunch, the White House said it would cut "today's age-adjusted death rate from cancer by at least 50 percent" over the next 25 years. (Treisman, 2/2)

ABC News: Biden Relaunches Cancer 'Moonshot' Initiative To Help Cut Death Rate
The initiative is personal for Biden, who lost his son Beau to brain cancer in 2015 and who first launched the initiative as vice president. "I committed to this fight when I was vice president," Biden said Wednesday. "It's one of the reasons why quite frankly why I ran for president. Let there be no doubt, now that I am president, this is a presidential, White House priority. Period." (Gittleson, 2/2)

AP: Sen. Luján To Be Out At Least 4 Weeks, Biden Agenda At Risk 
The Democrats’ fragile hold on the Senate majority became vividly apparent Wednesday with the sudden illness of New Mexico Sen. Ben Ray Luján, who won’t be back to work for at least four weeks, throwing President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court pick and lagging legislative agenda in doubt. The 49-year-old Democrat remained hospitalized after suffering a stroke and is expected to make a full recovery. But Senate colleagues were blindsided by the news — even top-ranking leaders were reportedly unaware that Luján fell ill last Thursday, a stunning oversight. Barring any complications, he is expected to be back at work in four to six weeks, according to a senior aide granted anonymity to discuss the situation. (Mascaro and Amiri, 2/3)

Stat: Key Lawmaker: ARPA-H Won’t Be Part Of NIH 
A new research agency aimed at developing breakthrough medical technologies won’t be housed within the National Institutes of Health, a key lawmaker said on Wednesday. Instead, the agency, known as ARPA-H, will exist as a distinct unit within the Department of Health and Human Services, said Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.). In a brief interview, Eshoo said that two House lawmakers who had pushed to create the new agency as a unit within NIH — Reps. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and Fred Upton (R-Mich.) — had backed off their positions. (Facher, 2/3)

The Washington Post: External Energy Source May Explain ‘Havana Syndrome,’ Panel Finds, Renewing Questions About Possible Foreign Attack 
An external energy source may explain disorienting and sometimes debilitating symptoms suffered by U.S. government personnel, a panel of experts has found, reaching a conclusion that, while not definitive, suggests a foreign power could have mounted attacks on U.S. diplomats, intelligence officers and military personnel serving overseas. The findings by the expert panel, which was convened by U.S. intelligence agencies, are the latest attempt to solve the years-long mystery of what, or who, is behind a constellation of symptoms known as “Havana syndrome.” (Harris, 2/2)

AP: Army To Immediately Start Discharging Vaccine Refusers 
The Army said Wednesday it will immediately begin discharging soldiers who have refused to get the mandatory COVID-19 vaccine, putting more than 3,300 service members at risk of being thrown out soon. The Army’s announcement makes it the final military service to lay out its discharge policy for vaccine refusers. The Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy have already discharged active-duty troops or entry-level personnel at boot camps for refusing the shots. So far, the Army has not discharged any. (Baldor, 2/2)

Bay Area News Group: COVID: 200 Santa Clara County Workers Disciplined Over Booster Mandate
About 200 Santa Clara County employees are being disciplined for not following a stringent health order that mandates workers in high-risk settings like jails and hospitals to receive a booster shot or a first round of vaccination by Feb. 1 — or risk their jobs. The affected departments include 171 healthcare workers, 22 correctional deputies and 16 probation staff members, according to figures provided by the county, which represents slightly less than 2% of a workforce of around 12,000 who were under the health order. The county fire department’s administration, who had a couple dozen employees that are were trying to avoid the booster shot, said that they expect a total of seven firefighters to be removed from their positions out of a total workforce of 220 people. (Greschler, 2/2)

The New York Times: The Surgeon General Assures Parents Covid Vaccines For Young Children Will Get A Rigorous F.D.A. Review.
The surgeon general sought to reassure parents who are nervous about their toddlers and preschoolers being vaccinated against the coronavirus, after federal regulators took a step toward authorizing vaccines for young children despite questions about their effectiveness. Dr. Vivek Murthy, the surgeon general, said Wednesday during a White House briefing that Pfizer’s application for emergency authorization by the Food and Drug Administration would “undergo the same independent, rigorous and transparent review process” that was used to authorize Covid-19 vaccines for adults. (Stolberg, 2/2)

The Atlantic: How Many COVID Vaccine Doses Do Little Kids Need?
This pivot is, at first glance, bizarre. Six weeks ago, right before Christmas, Pfizer announced that late-stage trials of two mini shots had produced somewhat lackluster antibody results in 2-to-4-year-olds, and a third dose could be necessary to clinch protection. Nothing about the vaccine itself has changed since then; no new data (actually, no data at all) have been publicized. Pfizer still says that a third dose will probably be necessary, and may report results on the effects of that dose around early spring. And yet, the stance on the shots for this group of kids has shifted substantially. Somehow, we’ve gone in an instant from two doses aren’t enough to actually, they kind of are. And both statements, somehow, are meant to be true at once. (Wu, 2/2)

USA Today: Boosted Americans 97 Times Less Likely To Die Of COVID Than Unvaxxed
Fully vaccinated Americans are 14 times less likely to die of COVID-19 than those who haven’t gotten the shots. Boosted Americans are 97 times less likely. Those were the figures presented Wednesday by Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based on reports from 25 jurisdictions in the week ending Dec. 4. For every 100,000 people, 9.7 of those who were unvaccinated were killed by the coronavirus, compared to 0.7 of those fully vaccinated and 0.1 of the boosted. She said more recent information during the omicron wave further underscores the value of getting boosted, prompting Dr. Anthony Fauci to say, “The data are really stunningly obvious why a booster is really very important.’’ (Ortiz, Bacon and Tebor, 2/2)

The New York Times: Why Nasal Covid Vaccines May Make Better Boosters 
Nasal vaccines may be the best way to prevent infections long term, because they provide protection exactly where it is needed to fend off the virus: the mucosal linings of the airways, where the coronavirus first lands. Bharat Biotech is among the world’s leading vaccine manufacturers. Its best known product, Covaxin, is authorized to prevent Covid in India and many other countries. But its experimental nasal vaccine may prove to be the real game changer. (Mandavilli, 2/2)

Fox News: US Daily COVID-19 Cases Fall Below 500K, Data Shows
For the first time in weeks, new daily COVID-19 cases in the U.S. were reported below the 500,000 mark. Data from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center showed Wednesday that new cases tallied 398,914. New deaths, however, have been on an upward trend amidst this winter's surge of the omicron variant of the coronavirus, and the university's data showed 3,622 new deaths in the past day. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), case numbers have been trending downward over the last 30 days. (Musto, 2/2)

Axios: COVID Deaths Are Rising Even As Omicron Dies Down
Omicron is finally on its way out, but it's leaving behind a death toll that is still rising. New cases are plunging. The U.S. is now averaging just under 425,000 new cases per day, down from over 750,000 per day just two weeks ago. And for the first time since the Omicron wave set in, almost the whole country is sharing in that improvement. Average daily cases have fallen over the past two weeks in all but five states... But deaths are still on the rise. The virus is killing roughly 2,600 Americans per day, on average. (Baker and Beheraj, 2/3)

USA Today: CDC Forecast Predicts Up To 75,000 More Deaths By Feb. 26
Even though infections from the omicron variant are decreasing across the country, the CDC's national ensemble forecast predicts the U.S. will reach 933,000 to 965,000 COVID deaths by Feb. 26, the higher figure being nearly 75,000 more than the current total. That's in part because deaths from the coronavirus typically lag infections by about three weeks, and the nation experienced an unprecedented spike in cases in January. The weekly ensemble, a compilation of predictions from diverse sources that the CDC says has been "among the most reliable forecasts in performance over time,'' envisions a stable or uncertain trend in the number of fatalities reported over the rest of the month. (Ortiz, Bacon and Tebor, 2/2)

CIDRAP: High BMI More Strongly Connected With COVID Death In Racial Minorities
Body mass index (BMI) was more strongly associated with COVID-19–related death in racial minorities than among White patients, according to a study today in Nature Communications. A team led by the University of Leicester in England examined the electronic health records and census and death data of 12.6 million adults older than 40 years who had a recorded BMI from January to December 2020. (2/2)

AP: Strained US Hospitals Seek Foreign Nurses Amid Visa Windfall 
With American hospitals facing a dire shortage of nurses amid a slogging pandemic, many are looking abroad for health care workers. And it could be just in time. There’s an unusually high number of green cards available this year for foreign professionals, including nurses, who want to move to the United States — twice as many as just a few years ago. That’s because U.S. consulates shut down during the coronavirus pandemic weren’t issuing visas to relatives of American citizens, and, by law, these unused slots now get transferred to eligible workers. (Taxin, 2/3)

AP: Judge Rules In Favor Of Hawaiian Airlines Vaccine Policy
A U.S. judge on Wednesday denied an attempt by seven employees to block Hawaiian Airlines’ policy requiring workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or face termination. The airline required U.S.-based employees to receive full doses of a vaccine by Nov. 1, while allowing employees to request accommodations based on disabilities or religious beliefs. (Kelleher, 2/3)

AP: NC Panel Rejects Vaccine Mandate For High School Seniors 
A North Carolina state health panel declined on Wednesday to require high school seniors to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, a decision that aligns with the wishes of Gov. Roy Cooper and other state health leaders who’ve said such a mandate was premature. The North Carolina Commission for Public Health voted unanimously against a formal petition from four University of North Carolina system professors to add the vaccine to state immunization requirements for those who are 17 years old or entering 12th grade as of July 1, news outlets reported. (2/2)

Houston Chronicle: Texas Tech Joins Study Testing Unproven Ivermectin, Other Controversial 'Repurposed Drugs' For COVID Effects
Texas universities, including Texas Tech's Health Science Center in El Paso, are now recruiting subjects for a nationwide study to test the effects of unproven repurposed drugs against non-severe COVID cases. Ivermectin, an anti-parasitic medication that local and federal health agencies have warned against using for COVID symptoms, is a candidate in the clinical trial known as ACTIV-6, along with fluticasone, an asthma medication, and fluvoxamine, an anti-depressant. (Zong, 2/2)

Press Association: Covid Pandemic Affects Particularly Badly Those With Long-Term Disabilities
Around one in five disabled people believe life will never return to normal following the coronavirus pandemic, a survey suggests. Some 18% of those questioned by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said they do not think life will ever get back to normal. This compared with 11% of non-disabled respondents. Disabled people said the pandemic has affected their lives more than non-disabled people in two key areas. These were access to healthcare and treatment for non-coronavirus related issues (58% for the disabled compared with 31% for non-disabled people), and wellbeing (55% versus 35%). (2/2)

The Wall Street Journal: Melinda French Gates No Longer Pledges Bulk Of Her Wealth To Gates Foundation 
Melinda French Gates is no longer pledging to give the bulk of her wealth to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and instead plans to spread it among philanthropic endeavors, according to people familiar with the matter. The billionaire made the change official in late 2021 following her divorce from Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates, the people said, when she published her first individual Giving Pledge letter. ... Bill Gates, in his most recent letter, reiterated that most of his wealth will go toward philanthropy, specifying that it will be through the Gates Foundation. “The foundation is my top philanthropic priority, even as my giving in other areas has grown over the years—primarily in mitigation of climate change and tackling Alzheimer’s disease,” he wrote. (Glazer, 2/2)

Barrons: Where Melinda Gates Might Give Her Money Now 
Melinda French Gates will likely focus on issues related to gender and equality, while remaining committed to global health and global development causes, after she withdrew her pledge to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, experts say. ... Gates has an estimated net worth of US$6 billion, according to Forbes. (Block, 2/2)

Modern Healthcare: Humana To Cut Costs, Invest $1B In Medicare Advantage
Humana will cut nearly $1 billion from its business after increased competition led the insurer to lose half the new Medicare Advantage members it expected to gain during open enrollment. The nation's second-largest Medicare Advantage carrier will invest in automation to more efficiently run its business, increase commissions paid to outside sales reps, grow its home health and primary care services and cut non-essential business lines, including axing some portions of its real estate and its hospice business, said President and CEO Bruce Broussard. (Tepper, 2/2)

Modern Healthcare: Medicare Advantage Plans Could See Nearly 8% Increase In Revenue
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Wednesday proposed increasing Medicare Advantage payment by 7.98% in 2023 as they eye future changes to its risk adjustment model. In a proposed payment policy for 2023, the agency asked for feedback on whether MA's risk adjustment model and star ratings could address the impacts of social determinants of health and health equity. Medicare Advantage organizations could see an almost 8% increase in revenue next year compared to 2022, according to the proposed changes. The proposed increase is almost double the 4.08% pay increase plans saw for 2022. (Goldman, 2/2)

Houston Chronicle: UTHealth Houston Unveils New Public Psychiatric Hospital, The First In Texas In 25 Years
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston on Wednesday unveiled a new public psychiatric hospital, which will bolster the city’s mental health treatment options and expand the state’s overburdened psychiatric resources. Built in partnership with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the $126 million, 264-bed facility at the Texas Medical Center is the first public psychiatric hospital to be built in the state in 25 years, the university said. Combined with the adjacent UTHealth Harris County Psychiatric Center, the 538-bed campus is the largest academic psychiatric hospital in the country, the university said. (Gill, 2/2)

Stat: As Internet Access Limits Telehealth's Reach, Insurers Are Starting To Cover It
Billions of dollars have been poured into telehealth during the pandemic: Insurers loosened the purse strings on virtual appointments, digital health companies pulled in astronomical investments, and the public markets minted multiple unicorns. But while virtual care’s proponents are fighting to cement its future, many Americans still can’t sign on at all. (Palmer, 2/3)

Modern Healthcare: Telehealth Use Differs By Race, Economic Status
Black, Latino and Asian adults are more likely than their white counterparts to use audio telehealth services rather than video, according to new federal data released Wednesday. Telehealth usage was similar across demographic groups, but white people, young adults, people earning at least $100,000 and the privately insured were most likely to use video services, according to national survey data analyzed by the Health and Human Services Department. People of color, people with lower incomes, adults without a high school degree and seniors skewed toward using audio-only services. (Hellmann and Hartnett, 2/2)

Modern Healthcare: Bottom-Tier Hospitals Got Better At Infection Control, But Still Hit With 1% Medicare Pay Cuts
Hospitals with the worst rates patient infections have, on average, improved since 2018. Despite moving the needle on healthcare-associated infections, however, there will always be losers under the CMS Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program. The bottom 25%—749 hospitals—are subject to 1% Medicare payment cuts in fiscal 2022. The Affordable Care Act established the penalty program as a way to put a spotlight on persistent patient safety problems. But the hospital industry questions whether the system is is fair, especially because healthcare-associated infections were declining prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Gillespie, 2/2)

Stat: Analysis: First Injectable For HIV Prevention Isn't Cost-Effective
A long-acting injectable to prevent HIV infection may be generating hope that a new era in the battle against AIDS is about to begin. But a newly published analysis suggested the medicine will not be cost-effective unless the price is considerably lower, since much cheaper pills to prevent HIV are available. At issue is Apretude, which was approved late last year by U.S. regulators as the first alternative to a pill — known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP— that must be taken daily to prevent HIV. (Silverman, 2/2)

NPR: Mississippi Is 37th State To Legalize Medical Marijuana
Mississippi is legalizing medical marijuana for people with debilitating conditions such as cancer, AIDS and sickle cell disease. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed the legislation Wednesday and it became law immediately. It could be months before the first marijuana dispensaries open. "There is no doubt that there are individuals in our state who could do significantly better if they had access to medically prescribed doses of cannabis," Reeves wrote in a statement posted to Twitter. "There are also those who really want a recreational marijuana program that could lead to more people smoking and less people working, with all the societal and family ills that that brings." (2/2)

AP: Appeals Court Restores Tennessee Down Syndrome Abortion Ban 
A federal appeals court on Wednesday once again reinstated a Tennessee ban on abortions because of a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome, or because of the race or gender of the fetus. The ban is part of a sweeping anti-abortion measure that has faced multiple legal challenges since it was enacted in 2020 by Republican Gov. Bill Lee. Notably, the law banned abortion as early as six weeks — a time frame when most women don’t know they’re pregnant — but that portion has remained blocked from going into effect. (Kruesi, 2/2)

NBC News: Ohio Judge Again Blocks Law Requiring Cremation Or Burial Of Fetal Remains
An Ohio judge this week blocked enforcement of a state law that would require the cremation or burial of fetal remains from surgical abortions, marking the second time in the past year the judge has halted its implementation. Hamilton County Judge Alison Hatheway said in an order dated Monday that the law is on hold until she issues a final judgment in the case. Before the order, abortion providers were expected to comply with the law by Feb. 8. (Fulton, 2/2)

AP: House Panel OKs Death Penalty Ban For Some Mental Illnesses
A Kentucky House committee advanced a bill Wednesday that would ban the application of the death penalty for some people diagnosed with severe mental illnesses. The measure easily cleared the House Judiciary Committee, moving on to the full House. The bill represents the latest effort to chip away at the death penalty in Kentucky. (Schreiner, 2/3)

San Francisco Chronicle: Dramatic Policy Overhaul Needed To Curb Exploding Opioid Crisis, Stanford Researchers Say
Pointing to an explosion of opioid overdose deaths during the coronavirus pandemic, Stanford researchers called Wednesday for a series of dramatic changes to how governments and society treat those addicted to the drugs, including the ending of incarceration for possession or use of illicit drugs. In a paper published in the medical journal the Lancet, the group recommended that policymakers in the United States and Canada also offer addiction-related health services during and after incarceration, better monitor prescription drugs post-approval and improve knowledge of addiction in medical education. (Ho and Fagan, 2/2)

CIDRAP: Harvesting Equipment Pinpointed As Source Of Dole Salad Listeria Outbreak
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday announced that the source has been found for a multistate Listeria outbreak linked to Dole prepackaged salad that has sickened at least 17 people since 2019, 2 of them fatally. In an outbreak update, the CDC said Dole collected samples from its facilities and equipment and found Listeria monocytogenes on equipment used to harvest iceberg lettuce. Genome testing conducted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined that the Listeria on the equipment matched the outbreak strain. (2/2)

CBS News: People Mistakenly Assume Consumer Products Are Safe, Top Regulator Says
Just because a product is for sale doesn't mean it's safe, says the man leading the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the federal agency charged with protecting the public against unreasonably dangerous or deadly products.  "I do know in talking to people, they often think because it's on the shelves, it's been pre-approved by the government, which is not the case," CPSC Chair Alexander Hoehn-Saric told CBS MoneyWatch. The agency's task is a monumental one — and literally a matter of life and death. The CPSC is charged with protecting the public from injury and death, along with property damage, linked with thousands of different products. Such incidents cost the U.S. more than $1 trillion per year, according to the agency. (Gibson, 2/2)

The Wall Street Journal: What Parents Can Do When Kids Have Suicidal Thoughts 
Suicidal thoughts are increasingly common among teens, and cause for alarm among parents. Most kids don’t act on those thoughts, scientists say, but researchers are learning to better understand which youngsters are most at risk—and what parents can do to keep them safe. New research links certain behaviors to an imminent risk of a child’s suicide attempt, including a dramatic increase in the time spent at home and a sharp rise in the use of negative words in texts and social-media posts. (Petersen, 2/3)

Fox News: Men Who Tend To Worry Have Increased Risk Factors For Heart Disease, Stroke: Study
You can worry yourself into facing a greater risk of heart disease and stroke. Particularly if you're a middle-aged man, according to a new study. Middle-aged men who worry more or are prone to feeling overwhelmed, compared to those with lower levels of worry and anxiety, developed more high-risk factors for heart disease, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes earlier in life, according to a published study in Journal of the American Heart Association Report. The findings also raise the possibility that treating anxiety disorders may lower cardiometabolic disease risk. (McGorry, 2/2)

Bloomberg: Omicron Sub-Variant BA.2 In South Africa May Cause New Surge Of Infections
A sub-variant of the omicron coronavirus strain, known as BA.2, is spreading rapidly in South Africa and may cause a second surge of infections in the current wave, one of the country’s top scientists said. BA.2 is causing concern as studies show that it appears to be more transmissible than the original omicron strain, the discovery of which was announced by South Africa and Botswana in November. Research also shows that getting a mild infection with either of the two strains may not give a robust enough immune response to protect against another omicron infection. There’s no indication that the sub-variant causes more severe disease from infection surges seen in Denmark and the U.K. (Sguazzin, 2/2)

AP: Making Olympics Just The Start For Athletes Avoiding COVID 
Mariah Bell had just won the U.S. figure skating championship to earn her first trip to the Olympics. Then came the hard part: remaining coronavirus-free until it was time to leave for Beijing. “That will be 100% top priority,” Bell said after qualifying for the Winter Games and before retreating back into a lockdown in the hopes that she could dodge the virus for another month. “I’m triple vaxxed; I’ve done everything I can do there. I’ll wear my masks, wash my hands a lot. I won’t be around people,” Bell said. “We’re going to try to make a bubble situation at the rink I’m at.” (Golen, 2/3)