First Edition: March 30, 2022

KHN: Delays For Autism Diagnosis And Treatment Grew Even Longer During The Pandemic 
Wylie James Prescott, 3, had to wait more than a year after his autism diagnosis to begin behavioral therapy, even though research shows early treatment of autism can be crucial for children’s long-term development. His mother, Brandie Kurtz, said his therapy wasn’t approved through Georgia’s Medicaid program until recently, despite her continued requests. “I know insurance, so it’s even more frustrating,” said Kurtz, who works in a doctor’s office near her home in rural Wrens, Georgia. Those frustrations are all too familiar to parents who have a child with autism, a complex lifelong disorder. And the pandemic has exacerbated the already difficult process of getting services. (Miller and Gold, 3/30)

KHN: As Red States Push Strident Abortion Bans, Other Restrictions Suddenly Look Less Extreme 
What is the ultimate goal of the anti-abortion movement? It might be surprising. To the casual observer, the obvious answer is that abortion opponents want to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. Before Roe, states decided whether and when abortion should be legal. It’s possible opponents of abortion will see that wish granted. Based on comments made by six conservative justices during arguments, the high court this year is expected to either weaken significantly or throw out the nearly 50-year-old precedent of Roe by upholding a Mississippi law banning the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy. (Rovner, 3/30)

KHN: Covid And Schizophrenia: Why This Deadly Mix Can Deepen Knowledge Of The Brain Disease 
Most of the time, the voices in Keris Myrick’s head don’t bother her. They stay in the background or say nice things. But sometimes they get loud and mean — like when a deadly pandemic descended on the world. “It’s when things go really, really fast and they seem overwhelmingly disastrous. That’s when it happens,” said Myrick, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia 25 years ago. “The attacking voices were calling me stupid. … I literally had a meltdown right here in my house. Just lost it.” (Dembosky, 3/30)

Stat: U.S. Approves Second Covid-19 Booster For People 50 And Older 
The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday authorized second Covid-19 boosters for people 50 years and older for those who want them. People 50 and older are now eligible for another shot of either the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna mRNA vaccines four months after their last dose, the FDA said. Health officials cited data from Israel showing that second boosters increased antibody levels, while other studies from Israel have shown that the shots increased protection against death during the country’s Omicron wave. Much of that data is considered preliminary, and it’s only been a few months since those doses started going into arms. Pfizer and BioNTech also said they submitted data to the FDA showing some waning of effectiveness three to six months out from the first booster shots. (Joseph, 3/29)

The Wall Street Journal: Second Covid-19 Booster Shot Endorsed By FDA, CDC For Adults 50 And Older 
Under the moves, the older adults can get the shots at least four months after a first booster dose. People will be able to choose between the two vaccines regardless of whether they earlier received a shot from Moderna, Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson. In addition, the FDA cleared a second Pfizer-BioNTech booster dose for people 12 years old and up with weakened immune systems and who have received a first booster dose of any authorized Covid-19 vaccine. And the FDA also authorized a second Moderna booster for immunocompromised people 18 years old and above. (Hopkins and Armour, 3/29)

The Washington Post: CDC: If You Got J&J’s Vaccine And Booster, Consider An MRNA Shot Now
The nearly 17 million Americans who received the one-shot Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine are less protected against serious illness and hospitalizations than those who got the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna shots, according to federal data released Tuesday. The latest data suggest Johnson & Johnson recipients should get a booster with one of the messenger RNA vaccines, if they haven’t already done so — and even consider a second messenger RNA booster for the greatest protection. The data come from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that analyzed the results of mix-and-match vaccine-and-booster combinations during a four-month period when the highly transmissible omicron variant was dominant. (Sun, 3/29)

NPR: 2nd Booster For Over 50? Here's How To Decide If You Need One
Health officials argue that the protection provided by the COVID vaccine booster shots wanes over time. And they are concerned about people considered to be at highest risk of getting severe COVID. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention didn't make it clear how urgently people should be lining up for second boosters. The agency says these groups are "eligible" for the shots but it stopped short of saying they should get them. And some infectious disease experts say not everyone in this age group needs another shot now. So, if you're wondering whether to get a second booster, here are a few key factors to consider. (Godoy, Aubrey and Greenhalgh, 3/30)

The New York Times: Should You Get Another Covid Booster? 
The scientific evidence for fourth dose is incomplete, at best, and researchers do not agree on whether the shots are needed. Here are some factors to consider when making your decision. (Mandavilli, 3/29)

The Hill: White House: Biden Will Receive Second Booster If Doctor Recommends It
White House communications director Kate Bedingfield said on Tuesday that President Biden would receive a second booster if his doctor recommended it after the Food and Drug Administration authorized an additional booster for people aged 50 years and older. “I can speak to the president who will make this decision in consultation with his doctor. Obviously if his doctor recommends that he receive a fourth booster, then he would, but he'll make that decision in consultation with his doctor,” Bedingfield answered in response to whether the president and vice president would be receiving a fourth shot. (Vakil, 3/29)

Los Angeles Times: Omicron BA.2 Now Dominant Version Of Coronavirus In U.S. 
How big that potential upswing might prove to be remains the subject of much debate. Some experts believe California is well-armored against another significant surge — largely because the vast majority of residents have either been vaccinated or likely have some natural immunity left over from a recent infection. But BA.2 has fueled substantial increases in other countries, demonstrating how readily the super-contagious subvariant can still spread. (Money and Lin II, 3/29)

CNBC: CDC: Majority Of U.S. Has Covid Antibodies, What That Means For You
Some people are worried that another Covid surge is coming, powered by omicron’s highly contagious BA.2 subvariant. But experts say a significant jump in cases is unlikely, at least for now — possibly due to a recent estimate that nearly all Americans currently have some level of Covid antibodies in their systems. According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey of blood donor samples, conducted in December and updated last month, an estimated 95% of Americans ages 16 and older have developed identifiable Covid antibodies. Those come from both vaccinations — roughly 77% of the U.S. population has received at least one Covid vaccine dose, according to the CDC — and prior Covid infections. (Scipioni, 3/29)

ABC News: How To Use The CDC's New COVID Quarantine And Isolation Calculator 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released an online calculator Thursday to help people determine if they should isolate or quarantine after contracting COVID-19 or being exposed to someone with the virus. The tool can be accessed on a desktop or on a mobile device. Once a person answers a few questions, the calculator will help discern how long one should isolate or quarantine, whether they should get tested, and how long they should take precautions, such as wearing a mask around others in public. (Thomas and Kekatos, 3/29)

Fox News: Fauci: Americans Should Be Prepared For New COVID-19 Restrictions
White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci on Sunday warned about the potential for the reinstatement of COVID-19 restrictions in the U.S. In an interview on the BBC's "Sunday Morning," Fauci said U.S. residents "need to be prepared for the possibility" of restrictions being put back into place. Presenter Sophie Raworth asked if a new infectious COVID-19 variant could lead to future lockdowns and mask mandates. "I don't want to use the word ‘lockdowns.’ That has a charged element to it. But, I believe that we must keep our eye on the pattern of what we're seeing with infections," he said, noting that the U.S. is currently moving toward normalcy. (Musto, 3/29)

NPR: 21 States Sue The Biden Administration To End The Federal Travel Mask Mandate
"President Biden's shortsighted, heavy-handed and unlawful travel policies are frustrating travelers and causing chaos on public transportation," Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, who is leading the states' effort, said in a statement. "It's long past time to alleviate some of the pressure on travelers and those working in the travel industry by immediately ending Biden's unlawful public transportation mandates." Joining the mostly Republican-led effort are three states with Democratic governors — Kansas, Kentucky and Louisiana. (Diaz, 3/29)

AP: Navy Barred From Acting Against Religious Vaccine Refusers 
A federal judge in Texas is barring the Navy from taking action for now against sailors who have objected to being vaccinated against COVID-19 on religious grounds. U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor had in January issued a preliminary injunction preventing the Navy from disciplining or discharging 35 sailors who sued over the Navy’s vaccine policy while their case played out. On Monday, O’Connor agreed the case could go forward as a class action lawsuit and issued a preliminary injunction covering the approximately 4,000 sailors who have objected on religious grounds to being vaccinated. ... While the case is still at an early stage, the U.S. Supreme Court in a brief order Friday narrowed the impact of O’Connor’s original injunction, saying that the Navy could still consider the vaccination status of the sailors who sued in making deployment, assignment and other operational decisions. (Gresko, 3/29)

San Francisco Chronicle: East Bay Legislator Pauses California Vaccine Mandate Bill For Businesses
Legislation that would have required all California businesses to vaccinate their employees and contractors against COVID-19 was put on hold Tuesday by the bill’s sponsor, Assembly Member Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland. In a statement, Wicks explained that she was holding AB1993, which she introduced in February, in order to allow for negotiations with public safety unions and others who came out in opposition to the bill. (Whiting, 3/29)

AP: Into The Wild: Animals The Latest Frontier In COVID Fight
To administer this COVID test, Todd Kautz had to lay on his belly in the snow and worm his upper body into the narrow den of a hibernating black bear. Training a light on its snout, Kautz carefully slipped a long cotton swab into the bear’s nostrils five times. For postdoctoral researcher Kautz and a team of other wildlife experts, tracking the coronavirus means freezing temperatures, icy roads, trudging through deep snow and getting uncomfortably close to potentially dangerous wildlife. (Ungar, 3/30)

Bay Area News Group: Unvaccinated Tom Cruise Caught COVID Months After Yelling At Crew: Report
A new report raises questions about Tom Cruise’s presentation of himself as the safety-conscious star of “Mission: Impossible 7,” who was so vehement about protecting the production from COVID-19 that he notoriously yelled expletives at crew members who purportedly violated COVID safety protocols. Indeed, the investigative report by the Hollywood Reporter said it is believed that Cruise didn’t get the COVID-19 vaccine, at least as of June 2021. That means he remained unvaccinated after an audio recording of his infamous dressing down of crew members was leaked to the media in December 2020. (Ross, 3/29)

The Washington Post: White House Turns To Air Quality In Latest Effort To Thwart Coronavirus 
The White House is pivoting to emphasize that poorly ventilated indoor air poses the biggest risk for coronavirus infections, urging schools, businesses and homeowners to take steps to boost air quality — a move scientists say is long overdue and will help stave off future outbreaks. “Let’s Clear the Air on COVID,” a virtual event hosted Tuesday by the White House science office, came after President Biden’s coronavirus response team and other leaders have elevated warnings that airborne transmission is the primary conduit of coronavirus infections, a reversal of earlier federal guidance. (Diamond, 3/29)

The Boston Globe: How Clean Is The Air In Your School Or Workplace? Hint: Many Places Are Lacking
Two years into an airborne pandemic, many buildings around the country are still poorly ventilated and lack sufficient filtration systems to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other infections, experts say. The White House on Tuesday renewed its push to improve indoor air quality at workplaces and schools at a time when mask mandates have been largely discontinued and another more transmissible version of the virus, known as BA.2, is widely circulating. “For decades, Americans have demanded that clean water flow from our taps and pollution limits be placed on our smokestacks and tailpipes,” Dr. Alondra Nelson, head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said during a White House virtual event. “Our indoor air should be clean and healthy too. It’s just as important as the food we eat and the water we drink.” (Lazar, 3/29)

Fox News: Special Ultraviolet Light Prevents Indoor Transmission Of Airborne Pathogens Without Harming Humans: Study
The light at the end of the tunnel for the COVID-19 pandemic might just be overhead. A new study shows a hands-off approach using ultraviolet light, called far-UVC light, reduced transmission of indoor airborne pathogens by more than 98% in less than five minutes, according to a recent statement. "Far-UVC rapidly reduces the amount of active microbes in the indoor air to almost zero, making indoor air essentially as safe as outdoor air," said co-author Dr. David Brenner, director of the Center for Radiological Research at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. (Sudhakar, 3/29)

The Washington Post: Chronically Ill Face Life-Or-Death Challenges Due To Pandemic Shortages
Crystal Evans lives in constant fear that bacteria will grow inside the silicone tube that connects her windpipe to the ventilator that pumps air into her lungs. Before the pandemic, the 40-year-old with a progressive neuromuscular disease followed a fastidious routine: She carefully changed the plastic circuits that carry air from the ventilator five times each month to keep them sterile. She also swapped out the silicone tracheotomy tube several times a month. Now, though, those tasks have gotten infinitely harder. A shortage of medical-grade silicone and plastic used for the tubing means she must make do with just one new circuit each month. (Shepherd, 3/29)

Modern Healthcare: UnitedHealth's Optum To Buy LHC Group For $5.4 Billion
UnitedHealth Group's Optum announced Tuesday it plans to purchase in-home healthcare provider LHC Group for an estimated $5.4 billion. The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2022, a news release said. "Working together as organizations committed to caring for the most vulnerable in society will help us more effectively and efficiently deliver high quality and increasingly value-based care in the home," LHC Group Chairman and CEO Keith Myers said in the news release. (Christ, 3/29)

Stat: UnitedHealth Deal With LHC Highlights Broad Interest In Home Health
UnitedHealth Group’s proposed $5.4 billion buyout of home health and hospice provider LHC Group serves as another example of the health insurance industry’s ravenous appetite to own more parts of health care delivery, especially the care people receive in their homes. But the interest in home health — a lower-cost venue that remains highly lucrative, particularly for the Medicare population of people 65 and older — has also come from a host of other companies with money to burn, including hospitals and financial investors like private equity firms. (Herman and Bannow, 3/29)

Los Angeles Times: Fraud Plagues California's Hospice Industry, Audit Finds
A rapid boom in the number of hospices and other factors strongly point to a large-scale organized effort to defraud federal end-of-life care programs in Los Angeles County, putting vulnerable dying patients at risk of harm, according to a long-awaited state audit released Tuesday. Auditors blamed lax oversight for the problems, noting that the California Department of Public Health became aware of possible fraud by some for-profit hospices seeking licenses yet still approved them, essentially enabling “hospice agency operators who are possibly fraudulent to continue functioning, placing patients at serious risk of not receiving appropriate care.” (Poston and Christensen, 3/29)

AP: Kentucky Lawmakers Pass 15-Week Abortion Ban
The proposed 15-week ban is modeled after a Mississippi law under review by the nation’s high court in a case that could dramatically limit abortion rights in the United States. ... Much of the debate Tuesday revolved around the proposed regulation of dispensing of abortion pills, requiring women to be examined in person by a doctor before receiving the medication. Opponents called the measure another intrusion into women’s medical decisions. (Schreiner, 3/30)

Louisville Courier Journal: Omnibus Kentucky Abortion Bill Passes House Over Shouts Of Protesters
A sweeping bill with multiple new restrictions on abortion won final passage Tuesday in the General Assembly after shouting protesters disrupted the state Senate and seven of eight Senate Democrats walked out rather than vote on House Bill 3. The Senate passed the so-called "omnibus" bill on a 29-0 vote, and a few hours later, the House gave final approval on a vote of 74-19. The bill now goes to Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat who supports abortion rights. He could veto HB 3, but Republicans hold super-majorities in both the House and Senate and have enough votes for an override. (Yetter, 3/29)

AP: Maryland Lawmakers Pass Bill To Expand Access To Abortion
The Maryland General Assembly passed a bill Tuesday that would expand access to abortion by ending a restriction that only physicians provide them and requiring most insurance plans to cover abortion care without cost. The Senate gave the measure final passage on a 28-15 vote. That sends the measure to Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, whose office did not immediately comment on his position on the bill. The governor has said he personally opposes abortion, though he has called the issue settled law in the state. (Witte, 3/30)

AP: GOP-Led Missouri House Votes To Defund Planned Parenthood 
The GOP-led Missouri House on Tuesday advanced a bill to defund Planned Parenthood, ban fetal tissue donations and put additional restrictions on abortion. The House gave the measure initial approval in a voice vote Tuesday. It needs another House vote to move to the Republican-led Senate. The measure also bans fetal-tissue donation and would allow family members to file wrongful death lawsuits if babies are born after an abortion and then die. (3/30)

The 19th: Oklahoma's Texas-Inspired Abortion Ban Could Devastate Region's Access
Since their state passed its six-week abortion bill in September, Texans have headed north to Oklahoma in droves. But though it has emerged as a critical access point, Oklahoma is on the verge of passing its own strict abortion ban, and clinics in nearby states are bracing for a new surge in patients seeking care. Many worry that without Oklahoman clinics, they will be unable to account for everyone hoping to obtain an abortion. (Luthra, 3/29)

NBC News: Billboards Across Florida Encourage People To 'Say Gay'
Billboards popping up in some of Florida’s largest cities are encouraging passersby to “say gay.” The massive roadside messages are a response to the state’s controversial Parental Rights in Education bill, dubbed by critics the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law Monday. The measure prohibits “classroom instruction ... on sexual orientation or gender identity” in “kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate.” (Valle, 3/29)

AP: Prosecution Rests In Trial Of Ohio Doctor Charged In Deaths
Prosecutors on Tuesday wrapped up their case in the weeks-long trial of an Ohio doctor accused in multiple hospital deaths. Dr. William Husel is accused of ordering excessive painkillers for 14 patients in the Columbus-area Mount Carmel Health System. He was indicted in cases involving at least 500 micrograms of the powerful painkiller fentanyl. (3/29)

The Wall Street Journal: Positive Drug Tests Among U.S. Workers Hit Two-Decade High 
The percentage of working Americans testing positive for drugs hit a two-decade high last year, driven by an increase in positive marijuana tests, as businesses might have loosened screening policies amid nationwide labor shortages. Of the more than six million general workforce urine tests that Quest Diagnostics Inc., one of the country’s largest drug-testing laboratories, screened for marijuana last year, 3.9% came back positive, an increase of more than 8% from 2020, according to Quest’s annual drug-testing index. That figure is up 50% since 2017. (Feuer, 3/29)

The Washington Post: Climate Change Is Making Pollen Season Longer And More Intense Across The Country 
Across the country, pollen season is starting earlier and intensifying because of rising global temperatures and carbon dioxide concentrations. Previous research showed that pollen season lengthened by 20 days over the past three decades across North America, while pollen concentrations increased by 21 percent. The most affected places were the U.S. Southeast and Midwest. (Patel, 3/29)

Houston Chronicle: Switch To EVs Could Mean Huge Cut In Asthma, Billions In Health Benefits For Houston, Study Finds
Electrifying every vehicle on Houston-area roads and powering them with renewable sources would avoid 3,000 premature deaths and reap billions in health benefits, a new analysis by the American Lung Association has concluded. Released late Tuesday, the report, Zeroing in on Healthy Air, advocates for more aggressive movement toward zero-emission vehicles, especially heavy trucks, public transit and delivery vans. Researchers based their estimates on all passenger vehicles sold by 2035, and all medium- and heavy-duty trucks sold by 2040, being zero emission, as well as all electricity generated by renewable means. They also factored for reductions, but not a total elimination of petrochemical refining. (Begley, 3/29)

Press Association: Dyson Unveils Zone Noise-Canceling Headphones And Air-Purifying Visor
Dyson has created headphones that include a purifying visor designed to help people avoid polluted air in cities. Called the Dyson Zone, the wearable device combines noise-cancelling over-ear headphones with a visor that sits just in front of the nose and mouth, delivering filtered air. The British technology firm said the headphones have been created in response to growing concerns about air and sound pollution in urban areas. It cited World Health Organisation (WHO) figures estimating nine in 10 people globally breathe air that exceeds its guidelines on pollutant limits, while around 100 million people in Europe are said to be exposed to long-term noise exposure above its recommended level. (Landi, 3/30)

The New York Times: Does Moderate Drinking Protect Your Heart? A Genetic Study Offers A New Answer
Last week, two patients asked Dr. Stanley L. Hazen, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic, how much daily alcohol consumption would be good for their cardiac health. He gave them both well-accepted medical advice — an average of about one drink a day helps the heart. “I didn’t give it a second thought,” he said. Then he saw a paper published in JAMA Network Open whose findings upended his thinking about what to tell patients. The paper, he said, “totally changes my life. ”Its conclusion: There is no level of drinking that does not confer heart disease risk. (Kolata, 3/29)

Press Association: One Avocado a Week Cuts Risk of Heart Disease by 20%
Eating two or more servings of avocado every week cuts the risk of heart disease by a fifth, according to a new study. Experts found that one avocado a week (equivalent to two servings) appears to slash the risks of coronary heart disease by 21% compared to people who do not eat avocado. Replacing half a serving per day of margarine, butter, egg, yoghurt, cheese or processed meats with the equivalent amount of avocado was also associated with a 16% to 22% lower risk of heart disease. (3/30)

USA Today: Most Stressed People In America Live In These States
Is the state you're living in stressing you out? If you live in Louisiana, Nevada or New Mexico, it might be, according to a new report. A study by personal finance website WalletHub measured all 50 states using 41 key indicators of stress. The stress data is split into major categories: stress related to work, money, family, and health and safety. The indicators include average amount of sleep and hours worked, health, job security, divorce rate, crime rate, credit score and housing. (Jiminez Moya, 3/29)

The 19th: Two-Thirds Of Military Families Report Challenges To Having Children
For more than two decades, Kim Hunt was constantly on the move. Alongside her husband, now a retired Navy officer, Hunt moved 16 times across the United States and Europe. The couple had two daughters — pregnancies that were planned around whether her husband was on shore duty or sea duty — but they knew many other active-duty service members who struggled to conceive at all. Now, as associate director of research and training at Blue Star Families, a nonprofit founded in 2009 by military spouses, Hunt helps create, collect and analyze the largest annual military lifestyle survey. (Padilla, 3/29)

Stateline: Rideshare Riders Could Get Stuck With Medical Bills In A Crash
In the early hours of Sept. 12, 2020, Denver chef Brian Fritts, 32, was riding in the backseat of a Lyft car when another vehicle crashed into it and drove off, leaving him with six crushed vertebrae and a broken jaw. His life has never been the same. Nor has his pocketbook. A loophole in Colorado’s rideshare insurance laws left him with no payments to cover his medical bills and other expenses. He owed hundreds of thousands of dollars, much of which was not covered by Medicaid, his health insurance. “I can’t sit up; I can’t stand for very long,” he told the Colorado legislature this month in a House Judiciary Committee hearing. And, he said, he needs more surgery to fix his crooked jaw, a procedure he said he can’t afford. (Povich, 3/29)

BuzzFeed: What People With Alopecia Think About That Chris Rock Joke
For the 6.8 million people in the US with alopecia, it was Pinkett Smith’s face when the joke dropped, not the slap, that was the important part. Alopecia is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles, triggering a spectrum of hair loss anywhere on the body. It’s unpredictable and can happen to anyone at any time, no matter their age, sex, race, ethnicity, or health status. (Camero, 3/29)

The Washington Post: Why A Single Slap Struck So Many
Psychologists and experts on violence aren’t surprised by the strong emotions generated by the incident, and their variety. “The complexity right now does center around the talks and discussions we’re having around race, gender and disability … and survivorship,” said Apryl Alexander, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Denver. “All of those things combined impacted the lens in which we saw this unfortunate event.” (Chiu, 3/29)

The New York Times: The Chief Of The U.N. Food Agency Warns Of A Crisis Not Seen Since World War II.
The head of the United Nations World Food Program warned on Tuesday that the war in Ukraine was creating a catastrophe affecting local agriculture and global food and grain supplies “beyond anything we’ve seen since World War II.” “We’re talking about a catastrophe on top of a catastrophe,” said David Beasley, executive director of the W.F.P., to the U.N. Security Council. He added that Ukraine had gone from the breadbasket of the world to bread lines. “We would have never dreamed anything like this would be possible.” (Fassihi, 3/29)