First Edition: Jan. 18, 2022

KHN: ‘American Diagnosis’ Episode 1: On The Navajo Nation, Root Causes Complicated The Covid Fight 
Travel to the forests outside the Grand Canyon to follow Dr. Sophina Calderon and other Navajo Nation leaders as covid-19 tests the Diné people. Roughly 30% of the homes on the Navajo Nation rely on wood-burning stoves for heat. Many of those households haul wood from nearby forests. That’s what Calderon was doing when she realized the pandemic’s reach wouldn’t stop at the hospital — it was going to create a heating crisis too. (1/18)

KHN: Officials Struggle To Regulate Pop-Up Covid Testing Sites — And Warn Patients To Beware 
In recent months, mobile covid-19 testing tents and vans have sprouted on urban sidewalks and street curbs as demand has skyrocketed in response to the rapid spread of the omicron variant. Some of the sites run by private companies offer legitimate, timely and reliable results, but others are more like weeds. High demand and scarce supply opened the door to bad actors, and officials in some states are having a hard time keeping up their oversight amid the proliferation. (Andrews, 1/18)

AP: 'No End In Sight:' Texas Abortion Clinics Dealt New Setback
Abortion clinics fear the case will now languish for weeks if not months, and maybe not until after the U.S. Supreme Court makes a ruling in a Mississippi case that could roll back abortion rights across the country. “There is now no end in sight for this injustice that has been allowed to go on for almost five months,” said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, which is suing over the Texas law. (1/18)

Politico: Appeals Court Detours Texas Abortion Ban Case To State Supreme Court
A divided federal appeals court panel Monday rebuffed Texas abortion clinics’ plea to send what remains of their challenge against the state’s privately enforced abortion ban back to the lower court that previously blocked the law, instead directing the case to the Texas Supreme Court for further interpretation. The move by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals effectively prolongs the litigation over the unusual anti-abortion statute, leaving in place a law that has led to a dramatic reduction in the number of abortions performed in the state since the measure took effect in September. (Ollstein and Gerstein, 1/17)

The Washington Post: Texas’s Six-Week Abortion Ban Remains In Effect After Federal Appeals Court Ruling
The nation’s most restrictive abortion law remains in effect in Texas after a federal appeals court on Monday rejected a request from abortion providers to immediately return their legal challenge to a trial court judge who had previously blocked the measure. In a 2-to-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit temporarily transferred the case to the Texas Supreme Court, a step requested by state officials that could leave the dispute in limbo for months. (Marimow, 1/17)

Modern Healthcare: CMS Pushes Deadline For Vaccine Mandate In 24 States
Healthcare workers in the 24 states that are newly subject to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' COVID-19 vaccine mandate will need to get their first shot by Feb. 14 and final shot by March 15, according to new guidance released by CMS Friday. Facilities in the 24 states subject to the new guidance will also need to demonstrate that they've developed policies and procedures to make sure all facility staff are vaccinated against COVID-19 by Feb. 14. The guidance specifically applies to Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming. (Goldman, 1/14)

Houston Chronicle: Local Companies Stick To Vaccination Policies After Supreme Court Decision
Local companies say they will maintain their vaccination policies despite last week’s Supreme Court ruling that struck down the Biden administration’s vaccination mandate for firms with more than 100 employees. The Houston software company Hewlett Packard Enterprises, for example, said vaccinations are still required for employees to enter offices, work at clients’ sites or travel for business. Those who decline to be vaccinated are required to work from home. (Carballo, 1/17)

The Washington Post: Don’t Count On Omicron Ending The Pandemic, Fauci Says
Top U.S. health officials are urging caution amid reports of coronavirus cases peaking in some areas and speculation that the omicron variant could be a pandemic killer. “It is an open question whether it will be the live virus vaccination that everyone is hoping for,” Anthony S. Fauci, the president’s chief medical adviser, said Monday during a virtual panel at the Davos Agenda. (Jeong, 1/18)

USA Today: 4th Vaccine Shot Less Effective Against Omicron, Study Shows
The increase in antibodies produced by a fourth shot of COVID-19 vaccine is not enough to prevent infections from the omicron variant, according to preliminary research at an Israeli hospital. The results, revealed Monday, bring into question the practice of giving a second booster dose when large parts of the world are facing a shortage of vaccines, although it still has some defenders. In the clinical trial, 274 medical workers at Sheba Hospital near Tel Aviv received a fourth dose in December – 154 got the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and the rest Moderna's – after previously being inoculated with three Pfizer-BioNTech shots. (Ortiz, Bacon and Tebor, 1/17)

The New York Times: The C.D.C.’s New Challenge? Grappling With Imperfect Science 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was long revered for its methodical and meticulous scientific approach. Agencies in other nations modeled themselves after the world’s most highly regarded public health authority, even adopting the name. At the outset of the pandemic, the C.D.C. moved at its accustomed pace. But this time, with a novel virus moving so quickly, the country paid a price: Testing and surveillance lagged as the agency tried to implement dated approaches with creaky infrastructure. Officials were late to recommend masking, in part because federal scientists took too long to recognize that the virus was airborne. (Mandavilli, 1/17)

CNN: CDC's Suggestion To Cancel Football, Band In Nearly Every US School Called 'Unrealistic' 
If the scientists at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had their way, to curb the spread of Covid-19 right now, nearly every US school would cancel football, wrestling, band and loads of other mainstay school activities. In another piece of guidance, the CDC tells people who've recovered from Covid-19 that they can leave their homes after five days -- and while they are out and about for the next five days, they should avoid being around more than 80% of the US public. Dr. William Schaffner, an adviser to the CDC for four decades, said it's "unlikely, unreasonable, and unrealistic" to think Americans will follow either of the agency's suggestions. (Cohen, 1/17)

Bloomberg: Surgeon General Defends Biden Response
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy defended the Biden administration’s response to the surge of Covid-19 infections caused by the omicron variant, conceding though that health officials need to “close that gap” in the severe shortage of testing. “We have more to do,” Murthy said on ABC’s “This Week,” adding that the spike in infections outstripped what he said was an eight-fold increase in testing over the last month. (Fisher and Strohm, 1/16)

Stateline: A Shift Away From Daily COVID Case Counts Has Begun
The most familiar indicator of COVID-19’s inexorable nationwide spread—daily state and local case counts—may be on the way out. Instead, public health officials are considering a shift from increasingly inaccurate case data to numbers they say better represent the effect of the disease on the community and the health care system: COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths. Omicron case counts are shattering all previous COVID-19 records. But the numbers don’t carry the same weight they used to. State and local health departments are preparing to explain that to the public and start reporting more meaningful data on the virus. (Vestal, 1/14)

AP: Joint Chiefs Chairman And Marine Corps Chief Have COVID-19 
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley has tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing very minor symptoms, a spokesperson said Monday. The Marine Corps said its commandant, Gen. David Berger, also has COVID-19. Milley, who has received the vaccine and a booster shot, tested positive on Sunday, Joint Chiefs spokesperson Col. Dave Butler said in a statement. Milley was isolating himself and working remotely from a location where he can perform all his duties, Butler said. The Marine Corps said in a statement that Berger also tested positive, giving no other details except to say his ability to work is unaffected. Other Joint Chiefs of Staff members tested negative, Butler said. (1/17)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Explosive Rise In Louisiana Nursing Home COVID Cases Now Fueling Staffing Crisis
As the calendar turned to the new year, Louisiana's nursing homes confronted a familiar foe: skyrocketing coronavirus cases among residents and staff, worsening an already dire staffing crisis and creating worry among advocates. The explosion in new cases is striking: Louisiana's roughly 270 nursing homes have reported nearly 1,000 new cases among residents in the last two weeks and more than 2,700 new staff cases. Both numbers are more than six times what was reported in the last week of December and represent some of the highest numbers at any time during the pandemic. (Roberts III, 1/15)

AP: 4 Oklahoma City Hospitals Report No ICU Beds As Virus Surges
Four hospitals in Oklahoma City reported Monday that they have no intensive care beds available amid a surge in coronavirus cases fueled by the omicron variant. St. Anthony, Mercy, Integris and OU Health on Monday each reported no available ICU beds and that they had a total of 737 COVID-19 patients. (1/17)

AP: Air Force Team Helps Yuma Hospital Care For COVID Patients 
Needing assistance due to staff shortages and increasing numbers of COVID-19 patients, including some requiring high levels of care, Yuma Regional Medical Center applied to the federal government for help. That call was answered two weeks ago with the arrival of a 15-member Air Force medical augmentation team. Now about halfway through a 30-day deployment at Yuma Regional, the team’s members are stepping in to help the hospital’s personnel wherever help is needed, the Yuma Sun reported. (1/17)

The New York Times: More Cruises Canceled As Omicron Spreads 
Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises have canceled several trips as the Omicron variant continues to wreak havoc with the cruise industry. ... On Friday, Royal Caribbean canceled a sailing on the ship Independence of the Seas, in response to “Covid-related circumstances around the world,” the company said on its website. The company said this month that it had called off planned trips on three ships — Serenade of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas and Jewel of the Seas — and delayed the return to cruising of another, Vision of the Seas, to March. (Lukpat and Yeginsu, 1/17)

Fox News: Omicron Symptoms May Include Night Sweats
As the omicron variant of the coronavirus continues to spread around the country, some patients are reported to be experiencing new symptoms. Doctors say some people are now reporting night sweats, a symptom also associated with sleep disorders, some cancers and the flu. According to Mayo Clinic, night sweats are "repeated episodes of extreme perspiration that may soak your nightclothes or bedding and are related to an underlying medical condition or illness." (Musto, 1/14)

CBS News: Arkansas Inmates Who Were Given Ivermectin To Treat COVID In Jail File Federal Lawsuit: "They Used Us As An Experiment" 
A group of men detained at Washington County Detention Center in Arkansas say that the jail's medical staff gave them the anti-parasite drug ivermectin last year, without their consent, to treat COVID-19, while telling them the pills were "vitamins." On Wednesday, the American Civil Liberties Union, on behalf of the inmates, filed a federal lawsuit against the jail and its doctor.  (Cohen, 1/17)

CIDRAP: Insurers May Be Spending $130 Million On Ivermectin For COVID-19
Needless insurer spending on ivermectin prescriptions for COVID-19, estimated at $2.5 million in the United States for the week of Aug 13, 2021—the most recent week analyzed—would extrapolate to $130 million annually, US researchers reported yesterday in JAMA. (1/14)

AP: Judge Stops Minnesota Hospital From Disconnecting Ventilator
A man who has been suffering from a severe case of COVID-19 and was being kept alive by a ventilator has been moved from a Minnesota hospital to a Texas facility after a judge issued a restraining order stopping the hospital from turning off his machine. Fifty-five-year-old Scott Quiner, of Buffalo, was a patient at Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids. He was flown to an unnamed facility in Texas over the weekend, the family’s attorney said. (1/17)

Fox News: FEMA Administrator On Delayed COVID Testing Efforts: Agency's Role 'Has Not Changed'
Responding to questions about whether the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) should have been surging resources for COVID-19 testing months ago – before the omicron variant of the coronavirus began to infect individuals nationwide – Administrator Deanne Criswell said Friday that the agency was working to support states based on what they had requested. Speaking at the White House press briefing, the leader said FEMA's role has always been to support hospitals, schools and public service agencies. (Musto, 1/16)

NBC News: Cost Of Masks And Tests Deepens A Pandemic Wedge Between The Haves And The Have-Nots
During the pandemic, three quarters of workers said it was very or somewhat difficult to make ends meet, 40 percent said they couldn’t come up with $400 in the event of an emergency and around 20 percent said they went hungry because they couldn’t afford enough to eat, according to the Shift Project, an ongoing survey of American hourly wage workers operated by Harvard University sociologist Daniel Schneider. ... In some cities, local mutual aid groups — many created amid the George Floyd protests during the summer of 2020 — have worked to fill the gap. Organizers in Portland, Oregon, and in Seattle have poured their own money into the effort and put out calls for cash and test kits to hand out to those in need. (McCausland, 1/17)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Health Department Distributes 1 Million N95 Masks In A Week
The Milwaukee Health Department announced Friday evening that all N95 masks supplied to them have been distributed to the public. Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson announced last week that the city had received 500,000 N95 masks from the state and would begin distributing the masks last Saturday. The health department distributed the 500,000 masks in three days and announced they would distribute 500,000 more beginning Thursday. Demand was high for the masks, just as demand was high for testing. The city's health department finished distributing the second round of masks by 4 p.m. Friday. (Bentley, 1/14)

The Boston Globe: For Marginalized Groups, COVID Testing Shortages A Bigger Burden
Take-home rapid tests and PCR testing appointments are hard to come by for everyone amid the surge in coronavirus cases. But for marginalized groups statewide, the scavenger hunt for COVID testing is tougher to navigate. A lack of reliable transportation, jobs with little flexibility, and language barriers make the search for tests more grueling in low-income, immigrant, and BIPOC communities, advocates and public health specialists say. Even weather variables, such as the extreme cold last week that closed some outdoor tent sites, add another challenge to the mix. “The inequities have continued to plague communities of color and low-income communities across the state,” said Carlene Pavlos, executive director of the Massachusetts Public Health Association. “They continue to be the hardest hit.” (Woodard, 1/17)

AP: Retesting Needed After Nearly 500 COVID-19 Tests Discarded
Nearly 500 people will need to be retested for COVID-19 after samples from tests they took at Ripken Stadium last week expired by the time they arrived at a lab. A Harford County Health Department spokesperson told WJZ-TV that the agency’s primary laboratory experienced a COVID-19 outbreak, so the test samples were sent to a backup lab instead. But the samples had expired before they got there. (1/17)

The Washington Post: They Relied On Rapid Coronavirus Tests To Gather Safely. Some Wish They Hadn’t
Rona MacInnes, 54, was determined to do everything possible to protect her elderly mother as her family prepared to gather for Christmas in Pennington, N.J. With her son returning from study in Dublin, MacInnes hoped serial at-home coronavirus tests would catch a coronavirus infection he might bring home. The college junior would take six rapid tests before the holiday, all of which returned negative results. But it would become clear only later — after he had spent time with his grandmother — that he had been infected the whole time. Several days after gathering for Christmas, he got a positive result back from the first available lab-based PCR test he was able to book. (Shepherd, 1/17)

CIDRAP: COVID-19 Worsens Maternal, Fetal Outcomes, Studies Find 
Women who gave birth within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test died at a significantly higher rate than their healthy counterparts, finds a Scottish study yesterday in Nature Medicine. They were also more prone to poor birth outcomes, even if they weren't severely ill, according to a US study in The Lancet Digital Health. (Van Beusekom, 1/14)

CIDRAP: Casirivimab-Imdevimab Reduces Symptomatic COVID-19 In Phase 3 Trial
A phase 3 clinical trial today in JAMA finds that only 29.0% of 314 asymptomatic COVID-19–infected people living with an infected household member developed symptomatic illness after receiving the monoclonal antibodies casirivimab and imdevimab, compared with 42.3% given a placebo. Scientists from Regeneron, maker of the casirivimab-imdevimab combination Regen-CoV, led the randomized, double-blind trial at 112 sites in the United States, Romania, and Moldova. The combination is available through an emergency use authorization for high-risk, nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients. (1/14)

CIDRAP: Firm Tackles US Drug Shortages During COVID With Wisconsin Plant 
After witnessing generic drug quality issues during visits to Asian manufacturing facilities and wrestling with dwindling domestic production capacity and foreign pricing fluctuations, family-run Nexus Pharmaceuticals found a solution a half hour north of its Lincolnshire, Illinois, headquarters. This summer, the company opened a generic specialty injectables manufacturing plant on 16 acres in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, joining the same corporate park as the soon-to-open Haribo gummi bear manufacturing plant, its first in North America. (Van Beusekom, 1/14)

CIDRAP: US Flu Markers Show Slight Declines In Activity
The nation's flu activity showed small signs of decline last week, but levels are still elevated, with circulation expected to continue for several more weeks, the CDC said today in its latest weekly update, which covers last week. The percentage of doctor's visits for flulike illness declined from 4.8% to 4.3% last week, with the current level still above the national baseline. The CDC notes that other respiratory viruses are circulating, contributing to the overall respiratory illness picture. (1/14)

Politico: Moderna Hopes To Market Combined COVID And Flu Booster In 2023 
Moderna hopes to market a combined booster vaccination for COVID-19, influenza and RSV — a common respiratory virus — as soon as the fall of 2023, CEO Stéphane Bancel said Monday. Bancel, speaking on a panel at the World Economic Forum, said the combination vaccine would enable people to get broad protection against illnesses caused by respiratory viruses ahead of the winter infectious season without having to obtain multiple jabs. (Busvine, 1/17)

AP: Indiana Lawmakers Consider Easing Of Nursing School Rules
A proposed loosening of Indiana’s regulations on nursing education programs is advancing in the Legislature, with supporters saying the step is needed to help address a statewide nursing shortage. Hospital officials and health care organizations supporting the proposal have told legislators that thousands of nursing jobs are open across the state in a shortage exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic as some nurses have quit or taken part-time jobs, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported. (1/17)

Modern Healthcare: Johns Hopkins Study Names Health Systems That Provide The Most 'Unnecessary' Care
About 11% of the nation's health systems are big-time over-utilizers of low-value services, according to a Johns Hopkins University study published in JAMA on Friday. Health systems that employ fewer primary care physicians, have higher bed counts or are investor-owned are associated with more unneeded care, researchers at Johns Hopkins' medical and public health schools found. Unnecessary procedures, tests and screenings are linked to lower quality of care and worse patient and worker safety, and drive up healthcare costs. Among the top over-users were St. Dominic Health Services of Jackson, Mississippi, Irving, Texas-based USMD Health System, Community Medical Centers of Clovis, California, and Providence, Rhode Island-based Care New England Health System, according to the study. (Gillespie, 1/14)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Thousands Of Gallons Of Toxic Phenol Reportedly Spilled This Week At A Philly Chemical Plant
A worker failed to shut off a valve Thursday at the AdvanSix plant in Philadelphia and up to 2,000 gallons of phenol spilled, with some possibly entering the sewer system, according to a police report. The incident occurred at about 4:20 a.m. on the 2500 block of Bridge Street. The fire department responded, but did not call for an evacuation. No one was injured. Phenol can be toxic to humans. The company’s Frankford plant is one of the largest producers of phenol in North America. The chemical is used in the manufacturing of nylon polymer for carpet fibers, plastics, and films, according to the company’s website. (Kummer, 1/14)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Philadelphia Children Appear To Be Gaining Weight Which Could Make Their COVID Symptoms Worse
Philadelphia pediatricians are seeing substantial weight gain in many young patients due to pandemic stress and lockdowns. Those extra pounds mean that if the children get COVID-19, they’re more like to get sicker than their leaner friends. The city doesn’t keep data on children’s weight the way it does on COVID cases and hospitalizations. But pediatricians at three medical centers in the city are seeing a situation that matches national trends. Rates of pediatric weight gain doubled over the course of the pandemic, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study of more than 400,000 children between ages 2 and 19 released in September. That was similar to weight gain in adults. Children who were already obese or overweight when the pandemic started tended to see the biggest gains. (Laughlin, 1/18)

AP: Seventh Grader Dies After Apparent Fentanyl Overdose At School In Connecticut 
A 13-year-old boy who apparently overdosed on the opioid fentanyl while in school died on Saturday, Connecticut police said. The seventh-grade student from the Sports and Medical Science Academy in Hartford had been hospitalized since Thursday morning. (1/17)

The New York Times: An Island Nation Covered in Ash Now Worries About a Covid Intrusion
Throughout Polynesia, a region of around 1,000 islands spread across the Southern Pacific, disease delivered by outsiders is a theme that runs through hundreds of years of history. Regular contact with Europe’s colonizing forces came relatively late to places like Tonga, but with devastating impact. Epidemics of measles, dysentery and influenza, carried in by Europeans, devastated island communities all over the South Pacific. (Cave, 1/18)

AP: COVID Program Delivers 1 Billion Doses To Poorer Countries 
The World Health Organization said Sunday that a U.N.-backed program shipping coronavirus vaccines to many poor countries has now delivered 1 billion doses, but that milestone “is only a reminder of the work that remains” after hoarding and stockpiling in rich countries. A shipment of 1.1 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Rwanda on Saturday included the billionth dose supplied via the COVAX program, the U.N. health agency said. (1/16)

AP: Hong Kong To Cull 2,000 Hamsters As Some Test COVID-Positive
Hong Kong authorities said Tuesday that they will cull some 2,000 hamsters after several of the rodents tested positive for the virus at a pet store where an infected employee was working. Officials said they would also stop the sale and import of the rodents in the city. The move came after the pet shop employee tested positive for the delta variant on Monday. Several of the hamsters tested positive for the coronavirus as well. (Soo, 1/18)

AP: Abu Dhabi Requires Booster Shots To Enter The Emirate 
Facing a nationwide surge in coronavirus cases fueled by the spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant, Abu Dhabi is requiring people entering the city to show proof of booster shots. The government’s health app said earlier this week that people entering the capital of the United Arab Emirates must show a “green pass,” confirming their vaccination status. The app says that visitors are no longer considered fully vaccinated unless they have received a booster at least six months after their second dose. (1/18)

AP: In Greece, Unvaccinated People 60 And Up Face Monthly Fines 
Greece imposed a vaccination mandate Monday for people 60 and older as a spike in infections has put sustained pressure on Greek hospitals, where most of the seriously ill patients belong to that age group. Older people failing to get vaccinated will face penalties, starting at a 50-euro ($57) fine in January and followed by a monthly fine of 100 euros ($114) after that. (Gatopoulos, 1/17)

The Boston Globe: Real Estate Developer Reneges On Multimillion-Dollar Pledge To Harvard-Led Covid Project 
A financially troubled Chinese real-estate developer has reneged on a major pledge to Harvard University, leaving a shortfall of millions of dollars for a major COVID-19 research effort involving hundreds of experts from academia and industry across Massachusetts. This is the second multimillion-dollar gift to Harvard that China Evergrande Group has struggled to deliver in recent years, and it also follows a disappointing hospital venture that the company launched with Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital. (Ostriker and Fernandes, 1/17)

Stat: At Davos, A 'Good News, Bad News' Message Emerges About Covid-19
As the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc, an expert panel at the World Economic Forum delivered a mix of good news and bad news on Monday: More variants will emerge, but vaccine production is accelerating and research is progressing toward a combined shot that may be able to attack these different variants. On one hand, the world needs to prepare for newer strains that could be more vexing, or the “worst case scenario,” said Annelies Wilder-Smith, a professor of emerging infectious diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. “Omicron will not be the last variant. There’s a high probability we will have another variant coming up. The question is when and will it be less dangerous?” (Silverman, 1/17)

USA Today: Hurricane Maria Leaves Long-Term Health Woes In Puerto Rico, Study Says
A new study that found long-term health problems in Hurricane Maria survivors underscores the devastating health consequences of climate change on communities of color, experts say. In the aftermath of the September 2017 storm, Puerto Ricans suffered higher rates of obesity, arthritis, high cholesterol, blood pressure and triglycerides, according to a study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The analysis, which compared data from more than 800 participants two years before and after Maria, also found that more than twice as many participants reported eye disease, fatty liver disease and osteoporosis following the hurricane. (Hassanein, 1/17)

Bloomberg: Menopause Strains U.K. Workforce With Women Planning To Quit
Almost a fifth of the female workforce who are experiencing the menopause are considering leaving their jobs, a survey shows. The study commissioned by the childcare service Koru Kids showed that most women don’t get any support at work for their symptoms, and almost a quarter of them aged are unhappy in their jobs because of it. About 18% are thinking about quitting all together, the survey of 2,000 women between the ages of 45 to 67 showed. (Konotey-Ahulu, 1/17)

Modern Healthcare: UPMC Picks CEO Of Its First Hospital In China 
Cleveland native Dr. Randy Jernejcic first realized his love for China in medical school at Ohio State University. He spent the summer of 1994 working at a hospital in Wuhan, a city that at the time had few foreigners coming through. "It started off my real long history of going back to China and taking part in different aspects of healthcare in China," Jernejcic said. Jernejcic will soon return to the county of more than 1.4 billion people as CEO of Chengdu Wanda UPMC International Hospital, China's first hospital run by an American academic medical center. The 500-bed hospital still under construction is slated to open in March 2023. It's the first of five hospitals UPMC plans to develop with Wanda Group, a multinational conglomerate based in Beijing that specializes in film and real estate. (Bannow, 1/17)

Bloomberg: Marijuana Legalization: Thailand Plans To Decriminalize Cannabis Possession
Thailand plans to decriminalize marijuana, moving a step closer to clearing its use for recreation, after becoming the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize medical cannabis and its use in food and cosmetics. The nation’s Food and Drug Administration is set to propose the removal of marijuana from a list of controlled drugs to the narcotics control board on Wednesday. Once cleared by the board, the proposal will need to be approved by Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul before it becomes effective. (Chuwiruch, 1/18)