Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Once A Covid 'Miracle,' Monoclonal Antibodies Are No Longer Available
The Hill: FDA Pauses Authorization For Last Remaining COVID-19 Monoclonal Antibody Treatment
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Wednesday that the COVID-19 monoclonal antibody treatment bebtelovimab from Eli Lilly is no longer authorized for emergency use in the U.S. as it is not expected to be effective at neutralizing the two most dominant omicron subvariants in the country right now. (Choi, 11/30)
Stat: Covid Evolution Wipes Out Another Antibody Treatment
Eli Lilly, the maker of bebtelovimab, has stopped the commercial distribution of the treatment, the FDA said. Various companies are working on updated antibody therapies, but none appears close to being authorized. (Joseph, 11/30)
In updates on Paxlovid —
CIDRAP: Paxlovid Safe For Pregnant COVID Patients, Fetuses, Study Finds
Pregnant women can safely take the antiviral drug Paxlovid to reduce the risk of serious COVID-19 pregnancy or fetal complications, according to a small study published yesterday in JAMA Network Open. (11/30)
More on the spread of covid —
CNN: Bill Clinton Reports Mild Symptoms After Testing Positive For Covid-19
Former President Bill Clinton announced Wednesday that he has tested positive for Covid-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms. “I’m grateful to be vaccinated and boosted, which has kept my case mild, and I urge everyone to do the same, especially as we move into the winter months,” Clinton said in a tweet. The former president, 76, added that he is “doing fine overall and keeping myself busy at home.” (LeBlanc, 11/30)
Los Angeles Times: Babies' COVID Hospitalizations As High As Seniors' Amid Omicron
Infants younger than 6 months had the same rate of hospitalization as seniors age 65 to 74 during this summer’s Omicron wave, according to a new report. The findings, published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, show that COVID-19 can still cause severe and fatal outcomes in children too young to be vaccinated. (Lin II and Money, 11/30)
AP: West Virginia To End COVID-Related Emergency Order In 2023
Republican Gov. Jim Justice said Wednesday that West Virginia’s state of emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic will end at the start of the new year. The state of emergency has been in effect since March 16, 2020. It allows the governor to suspend certain rules on personnel and purchasing. (Willingham, 11/30)
The Hill: GOP Governors, Senators Take Aim At Pentagon COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
Nearly all Republican governors and 13 GOP Senate lawmakers are taking aim at the Biden administration’s military COVID-19 vaccine mandate, with the two groups on Wednesday urging congressional leadership to try to alter or altogether dismantle the ruling. The 21 GOP governors, led by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, issued a joint letter to top lawmakers asking them to “take immediate action to remove and prohibit” the mandate. (Mitchell, 11/30)
The Texas Tribune: Texas Hospitals Face Threat Of Closure After COVID Relief Money Dries Up
Texas hasn’t had a hospital close since 2020, a much-needed relief following the previous decade of closures that were predominantly seen in rural communities. That could change soon: A new report from Kaufman Hall, a health care consulting agency, that was made public Wednesday shows that nearly 1 out of every 10 Texas hospitals are now at risk of closure, twice as many as before the coronavirus pandemic began in 2020. (Lozano, 11/30)
On long covid —
CIDRAP: Similar Long-COVID Symptoms Noted After Omicron, Delta
Participants infected with Omicron were at comparable risk of long-COVID symptoms as those with Delta infections 14 to 126 days after diagnosis, including during the acute (14 to 29 days), sub-acute (30 to 89 days), and long COVID (90 days or later) phases. Symptoms included fatigue, cough, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, anxiety/depression, and brain fog. (Van Beusekom, 11/30)
CNBC: Why Long Covid Could Be 'The Next Public Health Disaster'
Sam Norpel used to present regular financial updates to C-suite executives. Now, unpredictable bouts of broken, staccato speech make that impossible for the former e-commerce executive. (Iacurci, 11/30)
