First Edition: November 20, 2023
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
KFF Health News:
Extra Fees Drive Assisted Living Profits
Assisted living centers have become an appealing retirement option for hundreds of thousands of boomers who can no longer live independently, promising a cheerful alternative to the institutional feel of a nursing home. But their cost is so crushingly high that most Americans can’t afford them. (Rau, 11/20)
KFF Health News:
US Military Says National Security Depends On ‘Forever Chemicals’
The Department of Defense relies on hundreds, if not thousands, of weapons and products such as uniforms, batteries, and microelectronics that contain PFAS, a family of chemicals linked to serious health conditions. Now, as regulators propose restrictions on their use or manufacturing, Pentagon officials have told Congress that eliminating the chemicals would undermine military readiness. (Kime, 11/20)
KFF Health News:
Is Novavax, The Latecomer Covid Vaccine, Worth The Wait?
Erin Kissane, a co-founder of the COVID Tracking Project, rolled up her sleeve for the Novavax covid-19 vaccine in mid-October soon after it was finally recommended in the United States. Like many people with autoimmune diseases, she wants to protect herself from a potentially devastating covid infection. Kissane’s autoimmune arthritis seems to make her susceptible to unusual vaccine side effects. After getting an mRNA booster last year, her joints ached so painfully that her doctor prescribed steroids to dampen the inflammation. She still considers the mRNA vaccines “miraculous,” knowing covid could be far worse than temporary aches. (Maxmen, 11/20)
KFF Health News:
Journalists Delve Into Open Enrollment, School Nurse Shortages, And More
KFF Health News and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances. (11/18)
AP:
The Flu Is Soaring In Seven US States, Health Officials Say
The U.S. flu season is underway, with at least seven states reporting high levels of illnesses and cases rising in other parts of the country, health officials say. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted new flu data on Friday, showing very high activity last week in Louisiana, and high activity in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, New Mexico and South Carolina. It was also high in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, the U.S. territory where health officials declared an influenza epidemic earlier this month. (Stobbe, 11/17)
CIDRAP:
US Flu Activity Continues To Rise Steadily
The percentage of outpatient visits for flulike illness, at 3.5%, is above the national baseline for the second week in a row and is at or above baselines in 5 of 10 US regions. The percentage of respiratory specimens that were positive for flu rose to 4%, up from 3% the week before. Among positive samples at public health labs, 75.8% were influenza A, and, of subtyped specimens, 87.2% were the 2009 H1N1 strain. (Schnirring, 11/17)
CIDRAP:
COVID Data Show Small Rise Ahead Of The Holidays
After declining trends since the end of September, US COVID indicators rose slightly last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its latest updates. The rise comes just ahead of Thanksgiving gatherings and as other respiratory viruses such as flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) continue to increase. In a survey update today, the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) found that Americans' concerns about COVID-19 are lagging, which it says may explain lukewarm uptake of the updated vaccine. (Schnirring, 11/17)
Politico:
Newsom TV Ad Hits DeSantis On Abortion As Fox Debate Looms
California Gov. Gavin Newson is sending a warning shot at Florida’s Ron DeSantis over abortion ahead of their anticipated clash on Fox News later this month. On Sunday, Newsom is debuting a new TV ad that accuses the Republican governor and presidential candidate of pushing policies that criminalize women and doctors who pursue abortions after six weeks. The ad, narrated by Newsom, shows pictures of a woman and a doctor under a “Wanted” sign and states that their possible arrest is “by order of Governor Ron DeSantis.” (Cadelago, 11/19)
The Hill:
Christie Knocks RNC Chair For Remark On Abortion: ‘She’s Never Governed’
GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie took aim Sunday at Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Ronna McDaniel for suggesting that abortion is more than a state’s issue. NBC’s Kristen Welker pressed Christie on “Meet the Press” over McDaniel’s abortion comments on the show last week, where she said “there’s a lot of discussion to be had, but we can’t just say it’s a state’s issue and be done.” Christie pushed back on these remarks, saying “every state and its people should make its own judgment on this issue.” (Sforza, 11/19)
The New York Times:
Gaza Infants Evacuated From Al-Shifa Hospital
Four days after it was seized by Israeli troops, the Gaza Strip’s largest hospital has become a “death zone,” the World Health Organization said, as 31 premature babies in extremely precarious health there were evacuated on Sunday. Emergency medical workers from the Palestine Red Crescent Society and the W.H.O., a United Nations agency, transported the babies by ambulance from the hospital, Al-Shifa in Gaza City, to the neonatal intensive care unit of a hospital in the city of Rafah, about 25 miles away in southern Gaza. (Yee, Shankar, Kershner, and Levenson, 11/19)
AP:
Israel-Hamas War: Fighting Breaks Out Around Another Gaza Hospital
Heavy fighting erupted Monday around a hospital in northern Gaza where thousands of patients and displaced people have been sheltering for weeks, as Israeli forces focus on clearing medical facilities that they say Hamas militants use for cover. A shell struck the second floor of the Indonesian Hospital, killing at least 12 people, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza and a medical worker inside the facility. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. (Jobain and Magdy, 11/20)
The Washington Post:
Rosalynn Carter, First Lady Who Championed Mental Health, Dies At 96
Rosalynn Carter, a close political and policy adviser to her husband, President Jimmy Carter, who created the modern Office of the First Lady and advocated for better treatment of the mentally ill during her years in the White House and for four decades afterward, died Nov. 19 at her home in Plains, Ga. She was 96. (Holley and Sullivan, 11/19)
The New York Times:
Rosalynn Carter, First Lady And A Political Partner, Dies At 96
More than 15 years before Mrs. Clinton caused a stir by leading President Clinton’s effort to overhaul the nation’s health care system, Mrs. Carter sought to upgrade the mental health system and expand services and protections for older Americans. Barred by statute from serving in an official capacity, Mrs. Carter was named honorary chairwoman of her husband’s mental health commission and led the White House Conference on Aging. She conducted nationwide hearings on both topics, testified before Congress and pressed for legislation. (Seelye, 11/19)
The Hill:
Jill Biden Remembers Rosalynn Carter For Efforts With Mental Health, Caregiving
First lady Jill Biden on Sunday remembered former first lady Rosalynn Carter for her efforts with mental health, caregiving and women’s rights while meeting with service members and their families in Norfolk, Va. “[Rosalynn] was well known for her efforts on mental health and caregiving and women’s rights,” Biden said, standing alongside President Biden. (Nazarro, 11/19)
Politico:
Biden Campaign Facing Heat Over Plans To Deal With His Age
At the Democratic National Committee’s September fundraiser retreat, a donor pressed Joe Biden’s deputy campaign manager, Quentin Fulks, about one of the more oft-discussed topics in party circles: the president’s age. How, the person asked during a question-and-answer session on the 2024 campaign, should donors handle the stream of concerns they’ve heard about it? Fulks acknowledged the obvious: You can’t change the age of the president, who will turn 81 on Monday. Instead, he advised the donor to focus on Biden’s historic accomplishments. (Schneider, Otterbein and Lemire, 11/19)
The Hill:
Senate Democrats Demand Answers From Manufacturers Over RSV Drug Shortage
In a letter led by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) sent Friday, the lawmakers asked manufacturers AstraZeneca and Sanofi for more information about the current supply of nirsevimab, when the companies first became aware of the shortage, and why they were so unprepared for the demand. “As our nation braces for the 2023-2024 RSV season, we are concerned that health care providers and families are having difficulty accessing this new immunization product that can be used to prevent severe RSV infections in infants,” the senators wrote. (Weixel, 11/17)
Stat:
National Cancer Institute Gets New Leader, A Vanderbilt Oncologist
President Biden on Friday said he plans to appoint cancer researcher and doctor Kimryn Rathmell to lead the National Cancer Institute. Rathmell will assume leadership of the $7.3 billion agency amid the administration’s efforts to relaunch Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative with an emphasis on screening, prevention, and better treatment. Her work over the years has focused primarily on kidney cancer and its underlying drivers. (Owermohle, 11/17)
Reuters:
US FDA Approves Medtronic's Blood Pressure Treatment Device For Use
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the use of Medtronic's (MDT.N) treatment device in a surgery called renal denervation in patients whose high blood pressure cannot be controlled by drugs, the company said. The agency's decision is in contrast with the recommendation of a panel of independent experts, who narrowly voted against allowing the use of the device in August. (11/18)
Reuters:
FDA Panel Flags Insufficient Data For Merck's Chronic Cough Drug
Advisers to the U.S. health regulator said on Friday that data on Merck's (MRK.N) chronic cough drug does not provide sufficient evidence to prove its clinical benefit for patients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) panel voted 12 to 1 against the late-stage data submitted by Merck for the drug gefapixant, which showed a small reduction in cough frequency compared to a placebo. (Mandowara and Santhosh, 11/17)
Reuters:
FDA Identifies Recall Of B. Braun Medical Pump System As Most Serious
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday said it had identified the recall of B. Braun Medical Inc's medicine-delivering pump system as most serious. The Pennsylvania-based company had recalled some models of its Infusomat Space Volumetric infusion pump system in September due to faulty occlusion alarms, which may cause the pump to stop the delivery of medications pre-emptively or cause interruption. (11/17)
CBS News:
Court Orders Balance Of Nature To Stop Sales Of Supplements After FDA Lawsuits
A federal court ordered the brand Balance of Nature to stop producing and selling its dietary supplement products this week, after the Food and Drug Administration accused the two Utah-based companies behind it of repeatedly breaking the law in how they made and marketed their supplements. The FDA says the company marketing Balance of Nature, Evig LLC, and its CEO Lex Howard had flouted years of federal warnings about overstepping limits in what they could claim about diseases their supplements could cure or prevent. (Tin, 11/17)
Reuters:
Boom In Weight-Loss Drugs To Drive Up US Employers' Medical Costs In 2024 - Mercer
Booming demand for newer weight-loss and diabetes drugs is expected to accelerate the rise in medical expenses for employers in the United States next year, staff health benefits consultant Mercer said on Friday. GLP-1 medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could contribute between 50 and 100 basis points to the trend, Mercer's Chief Health Actuary, Sunit Patel, told Reuters in an interview. (Leo and Mandowara, 11/17)
AP:
No More Thanksgiving 'Food Orgy'? New Obesity Medications Change How Users Think Of Holiday Meals
For most of her life, Claudia Stearns dreaded Thanksgiving. As a person who struggled with obesity since childhood, Stearns hated the annual turmoil of obsessing about what she ate — and the guilt of overindulging on a holiday built around food. Now, after losing nearly 100 pounds using medications including Wegovy, a powerful new anti-obesity drug, Stearns says the “food noise” in her head has gone very, very quiet. (Aleccia, 11/20)
The Washington Post:
Why The Phrase ‘Profound Autism’ Has Parents And Advocates At Odds
Against a backdrop of a burgeoning neurodiversity movement portraying wide variations in human behavior as differences, not deficits, many autistic adults have come to see their traits as a gift and source of pride. Yet parents such as Maria Leary, the mother of two autistic, nonverbal sons — one of whom frequently injured himself and others before his death in 2018 — fear the neurodiversity revolution is leaving her family behind. (Ellison, 11/18)
AP:
Salmonella In Cantaloupes Sickens Dozens In 15 States, U.S. Health Officials Say
U.S. health officials are warning consumers not to eat certain whole and cut cantaloupes and pre-cut fruit products linked to an outbreak of salmonella poisoning. At least 43 people in 15 states have been infected in the outbreak announced Friday, including 17 people who were hospitalized. Several brands of whole and pre-cut cantaloupes and pre-cut fruit have been recalled. They include Malichita brand whole cantaloupe, Vinyard brand pre-cut cantaloupe and ALDI whole cantaloupe and pre-cut fruit products. (Aleccia, 11/17)
AP:
The FDA Is Screening US Cinnamon Imports After More Kids Are Sickened By Lead-Tainted Applesauce
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is screening imports of cinnamon from multiple countries for toxic lead contamination after growing reports of children who were sickened after eating pouches of applesauce and apple puree. Cinnamon from a manufacturer in Ecuador is the “likely source” of high levels of lead found in recalled pouches of applesauce puree linked to illnesses in at least 34 children in 22 states, the FDA said Friday. (Aleccia, 11/17)
The New York Times:
A Simple Way To Save Premature Babies
Shortly after a baby is born, doctors clamp the umbilical cord linking the infant to the placenta, which is still inside the mother’s uterus, and then cut it. New research shows that if doctors wait at least two minutes after the birth to clamp the cord, they significantly improve in-hospital survival rates for premature infants. Delayed cord clamping — an intervention that can be introduced at relatively little cost — is believed to help because it allows umbilical cord blood, which is rich in iron, stem cells and antibodies, to flow back to the baby. Some experts say that it’s not entirely clear why the strategy seems to help, but that the data is convincing. (Caryn Rabin, 11/17)
The Mercury News:
Cat-Borne Parasite May Cause People To Become More Frail, CU Boulder Research Finds
A cat-borne parasite that infects about 40 million people in the United States may cause adults to be more frail as they age, according to a new University of Colorado Boulder study. The parasite is already associated with risk-taking behavior and mental illness, according to a release, and the CU Boulder study found it may also contribute to signs of frailty including exhaustion and loss of muscle mass. The parasite, called Toxoplasma gondii, affects about 11% of people in the United States. (Doak, 11/17)
The Washington Post:
Women’s Body Temperatures Are No More Variable Than Men’s, Study Finds
Women’s body temperatures are no more variable than men’s, despite menstrual cycles and hormonal variability, a recent monitoring study suggests. The analysis, published in the journal Biology of Sex Differences, casts doubt on an idea that has long colored biomedical research — that ovarian cycles make females unsuited for drug trials and other clinical experiments. (Blakemore, 11/18)
CIDRAP:
Study Shows Modest Flu Vaccine Protection Against Serious Disease In Kids Last Season
An analysis of US national data finds a flu vaccine effectiveness (VE) against severe outcomes of 48% overall in kids in 2022-23, 53% among preschoolers, and 38% among children aged 9 to 17 years. The study was published yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases. The 2022-23 flu season saw the highest influenza-associated pediatric hospitalization rate in the United States since 2010-11. Most of the illness was caused by the H3N2 strain. (Soucheray, 11/17)
CIDRAP:
Organized Efforts To Debunk COVID Untruths Helped, But More Work Needed
A systematic review by Brown University researchers of studies on countering COVID-19 misinformation finds that only 18% included public health measures such as vaccination, and some seemed to give credence to conspiracy theories and other unproven claims. The review also revealed challenges in studying health misinformation, including a need for more study of measures aimed at stemming video-based misinformation. The team also said inconsistent definitions of misinformation make it hard to evaluate intervention studies. (Van Beusekom, 11/17)
CIDRAP:
High-Dose Fluvoxamine Did Not Shorten COVID Recovery Times
Results from a randomized clinical trial today of 1,208 participants show that high-dose (100-milligram [mg]) fluvoxamine did not improve time to sustained recovery in people with mild to moderate COVID-19 infections. Fluvoxamine, known as Luvox, is a selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Its potential use for COVID-19 was considered as part of the Accelerating Coronavirus Disease 2019 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV-6) platform, which aims to investigate repurposed medications in the outpatient setting for mild to moderate COVID-19. (Soucheray, 11/17)
Reuters:
Bayer Woes Pile Up As Blood Thinner Drug Trial Fails
Germany's Bayer (BAYGn.DE) has aborted a large late-stage trial testing a new anti-clotting drug due to lack of efficacy, dealing a fresh blow to the embattled drugmaker and throwing its most promising development project in doubt. Its shares slid 16.4% at 0903 GMT on Monday to their lowest in 12 years, with separate news overnight the company had been ordered to pay $1.56 billion in the latest U.S. lawsuit over its commonly-used Roundup weedkiller also hitting sentiment. (Burger, 11/20)
Reuters:
Bayer Ordered To Pay $1.56 Billion In Latest US Trial Loss Over Roundup Weedkiller
A Missouri jury ordered Bayer (BAYGn.DE) to pay $1.56 billion to four plaintiffs who claimed the company's Roundup weedkiller caused injuries including cancer, a verdict that could intensify investor pressure on the German drugs and agricultural chemicals company to change its legal strategy. The Cole County, Missouri jury found on Friday that Bayer's Monsanto business was liable for claims of negligence, design defects and failing to warn plaintiffs of the potential dangers of using Roundup, according to court documents. (Hals, 11/19)
Modern Healthcare:
Health Equity AI Intrigues Digital Health VC Investors
Amid a challenging venture capital market for digital health, AI remains a bright spot and an area of enthusiasm. According to a survey published in October from venture capital company GSR Ventures, 87% of healthcare investors are altering their strategies due to ChatGPT and other generative AI models. Investors see the potential of AI to improve efficiencies in healthcare and increase access for underserved patients. But VCs also recognize that AI can exacerbate issues of health equity. As a result, they want to know if portfolio companies are using unbiased AI datasets. (Perna, 11/17)
Stat:
Hospitals Put Tech Spending On A Tight Leash, Raise The Bar For Pilots
Health systems whose budgets were squeezed dry during the pandemic are creeping back into the black, but they’re far from the days when they had cash to blow on flashy tech pilots that might never pan out. (Ravindranath, 11/20)
Modern Healthcare:
FTC Will Sue To Block John Muir-Tenet Hospital Deal
The Federal Trade Commission will sue to block John Muir Health’s proposed $143 million acquisition of San Ramon (California) Regional Medical Center, alleging that it would increase costs and lower care quality. In January, Walnut Creek, California-based John Muir signed a definitive agreement to acquire San Ramon Regional from Tenet Healthcare Corp., a majority owner of the hospital also located in the East Bay near San Francisco. (Kacik, 11/17)
Modern Healthcare:
Tenet Healthcare To Sell 3 S.C. Hospitals To Novant In $2.4B Deal
Tenet Healthcare has agreed to sell three South Carolina hospitals and related facilities to Novant Health in a $2.4 billion cash deal, the health systems said Friday. The deal, expected to close in the first quarter of 2024, involves Coastal Carolina Hospital in Hardeeville, Hilton Head Hospital on Hilton Head Island and East Cooper Medical Center in Mount Pleasant, plus affiliated physician practices and operations. (Hudson, 11/17)
Modern Healthcare:
UCLA Health Sues Mattel Over Reneged $49M Donation Promise
UCLA Health is suing Mattel Inc. over a $49 million pledge it alleges the toymaker failed to honor. Mattel, the company behind Barbie and Fisher-Price brands, agreed in 2017 to donate $49 million incrementally over 12 years to the Regents of the University of California, on behalf of UCLA Health, and the UCLA Foundation to expand care at UCLA's children's hospital in west Los Angeles. Mattel paid $2 million in 2017, and the health system renamed the facility UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, according to a lawsuit filed Nov. 9 by UCLA in the Superior Court of California. (Hudson, 11/17)
AP:
Oregon’s Drug Decriminalization Law Faces Pushback Amid Fentanyl Crisis
Oregon’s first-in-the-nation law that decriminalized the possession of small amounts of heroin, cocaine and other illicit drugs in favor of an emphasis on addiction treatment is facing strong headwinds in the progressive state after an explosion of public drug use fueled by the proliferation of fentanyl and a surge in deaths from opioids, including those of children. “The inability for people to live their day-to-day life without encountering open-air drug use is so pressing on urban folks’ minds,” said John Horvick, vice president of polling firm DHM Research. “That has very much changed people’s perspective about what they think Measure 110 is.” (Rush, 11/19)
CBS News:
Brighton Police To Tackle Mental Health Calls More Effectively Through New Co-Responder Program
"In late 2022, myself and the victim services manager applied for a grant," said Commander Monce Portillo with the Brighton Police Department. "We were awarded just over half a million dollars from the Bureau of Justice Assistance and that gave us the opportunity to kick off a co-responder program." The co-responder program, which started earlier this month, pairs mental health clinicians with Brighton police officers at the scene of a call when a mental health crisis is taking place. (Vidal, 11/17)
CBS News:
New Public Health Vending Machines Now Available At 5 Chicago Locations
Public health vending machines equipped with first aid essentials are now available in five locations across the city. The Chicago Department of Public Health officially kicked off the program Friday morning as part of a new initiative to keep residents safe. ...The machines are free to anyone in Chicago. They'll be stocked with Narcan, fentanyl test strips, general hygiene kits, socks, and underwear. (11/17)