Bloomberg: Biden Says U.S. May Be Able To Send 1 Billion More Vaccine Doses
President Joe Biden said Sunday the U.S. may be able to provide 1 billion more doses of coronavirus vaccine to the world by 2023, and again raised the possibility that the virus may have escaped from a Chinese laboratory. “There’s a possibility over in 2022, going into 2023, that we would be able to be in a position to provide another billion U.S., but that’s not done yet,” he said Sunday at a news conference in Cornwall, England, following the completion of the Group of Seven summit. (Wingrove and Jacobs, 6/13)

Axios: G7 Leaders Pledge To Share 1 Billion COVID-19 Vaccine Doses In Next Year 
The Group of Seven nations will provide more than a billion coronavirus vaccine doses to aid global vaccination efforts over the next year, the leaders announced on the final day of the summit. The G7 nations have been criticized for not sharing their vaccines, particularly with countries that have struggled to contain new waves of the virus. (Reyes, 6/13)

AP: IMF Chief: 1 Billion Vaccine Doses Only A Start 
The International Monetary Fund managing director says there’s a moral imperative for the world’s richest countries to back programs to end the COVID-19 pandemic but the donation of excess vaccines is only the first step. Kristalina Georgieva’s comments in a virtual press conference at the Group of Seven summit Sunday in England came after U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he hoped G-7 leaders would agree to provide at least 1 billion vaccine doses for poorer countries. Humanitarian groups have welcomed the donations, but are calling for money, increased production and logistical support to help developing countries where the virus is still raging. (6/13)

AP: Aid Groups Appeal To G-7 For Cash To Get Shots Into Arms
Rich nations must do more than just donate surplus vaccines if they hope to end the COVID-19 pandemic, according to public health experts and humanitarian groups that are calling for money, increased production and logistical support to help developing countries where the virus is still raging. The appeal came after U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he hoped leaders of the Group of Seven major industrialized nations will agree to provide at least 1 billion vaccine doses for poorer countries. The G-7 leaders, who are holding their annual meeting this weekend in Cornwall, southwest England, continue to debate other forms of aid to get lifesaving vaccine shots into arms. (Kirka, 6/12)

Politico: G-7 Nations Call For Thorough Probe Of Covid Origins In China 
The G-7 nations on Sunday called for a “timely, transparent, expert-led, and science-based WHO-convened” investigation into the origins of Covid-19, including in China. “Strengthening transparency and accountability, including reiterating our commitment to the full implementation of, and improved compliance with, the International Health Regulations 2005,” the countries said in a joint statement. “This includes investigating, reporting and responding to outbreaks of unknown origin. We also call for a timely, transparent, expert-led, and science-based WHO-convened Phase 2 Covid-19 Origins study including, as recommended by the experts’ report, in China.” (Ward, 6/13)

The Hill: G7 Leaders Call For Investigation Into Coronavirus Origins | TheHill
President Biden joined the leaders of the U.K., Italy, Germany, Canada, Japan and France in signing a joint communique that addressed the group's commitments on the pandemic, climate change, ransomware and corruption. ... Focus on the virus' origins has become a point of interest in the United States as lawmakers and some public health experts have started to seriously entertain the possibility the virus originated in a lab in Wuhan, China. But Republicans in particular have criticized any WHO involvement, arguing the organization is unable to fully and fairly investigate China, especially when Beijing has refused to cooperate. (Samuels, 6/13)

Politico: Pompeo Insists Covid-19 Leaked From A Chinese Lab 
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo insisted on Sunday that Covid-19 originated from a Chinese lab. “There’s a pile of evidence a hundred feet high,” Pompeo said on “Fox News Sunday,” without offering specifics. Asked directly by Fox host Chris Wallace whether he believed the coronavirus had leaked from a Chinese lab, Pompeo declared flatly, "I do." (Reingold, 6/13)

In other summit news —

CBS News: Biden At G-7 Summit: "America Is Back To The Table"
President Biden on Sunday declared that "America is back to the table" after leaving his first Group of Seven summit, where world leaders vowed to confront China, boost global infrastructure and donate 1 billion vaccine doses to the rest of the world. "I conveyed to each of my G-7 counterparts the U.S. is going to do our part. America is back to the table," the president said in a press conference at the conclusion of the meeting with U.S. allies. "The lack of participation in the past and full engagement was noticed significantly, not only by the leaders of those countries but by the people in the G-7 countries." (6/14)

The Guardian: Concerns Grow In St Ives Over Covid Cases Linked To G7 Summit
Concerns are growing that St Ives may face a spike in Covid cases as the G7 summit winds up with hospitality venues, police officers and a protest camp all reporting cases of the virus. At least five venues in St Ives, the town closest to the main venue summit, Carbis Bay, have closed or are limiting their operations because of cases. (Morris, 6/13)

CNBC: Novavax Says Its Covid Vaccine Is 90% Effective, Plans FDA Submission In Q3
Biotech firm Novavax said Monday its Covid-19 vaccine was shown to be safe and 90.4% effective overall in a phase three clinical trial of nearly 30,000 participants across the United States and Mexico. Additionally, it said the two-dose vaccine was found to be 100% effective in preventing moderate and severe disease and 93% effective against some variants. The company said it plans to file for authorization with the Food and Drug Administration in the third quarter. (Lovelace Jr., 6/14)

AP: Novavax: Large Study Finds COVID-19 Shot About 90% Effective
While demand for COVID-19 shots in the U.S. has dropped off dramatically, the need for more vaccines around the world remains critical. The Novavax vaccine, which is easy to store and transport, is expected to play an important role in boosting vaccine supplies in the developing world. That help is still months away, however. The company says it plans to seek authorization for the shots in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere by the end of September and be able to produce up to 100 million doses a month by then. (Johnson, 6/14)

NPR: Novavax Says Its COVID Vaccine Is Extremely Effective
In addition to efficacy, the PREVENT-19 (the PRE-fusion protein subunit Vaccine Efficacy Novavax Trial COVID-19) trial showed the Novavax vaccine was safe for users. Like other COVID-19 vaccines, it caused headaches, chills and muscle aches after injection, but few of these side effects were considered serious or severe. The study involved 29,960 volunteers in the United States and Mexico. In the study, two-thirds of the volunteers received two shots of the vaccine and one-third received two shots of a placebo. (Palca, 6/14)

The New York Times: F.D.A. Tells J.&J. To Throw Out 60 Million Doses Made At Troubled Plant
Federal regulators have told Johnson & Johnson that about 60 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine produced at a troubled Baltimore factory cannot be used because of possible contamination, according to people familiar with the situation. The Food and Drug Administration plans to allow about 10 million doses to be distributed in the United States or sent to other countries, but with a warning that regulators cannot guarantee that Emergent BioSolutions, the company that operates the plant, followed good manufacturing practices. (LaFraniere, Weiland and Gay Stolberg, 6/11)

The Hill: Canada Rejects 300K J&J Vaccine Doses Made At Troubled Baltimore Facility
Canada has rejected 300,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine from the U.S. after it was made at a Baltimore facility riddled with contamination issues. “Health Canada has completed its quality review of the shipment of Janssen vaccines that are currently in quarantine,” Health Canada announced on Friday. (Lonas, 6/12)

Fox News: Fauci Pushes For Expanded COVID-19 Vaccination Among Adolescents
As coronavirus vaccines have become more widely available, officials are looking to expand COVID-19 vaccination coverage among adolescents. Speaking at a White House COVID-19 response team virtual town hall, Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser, noted 3.3 million coronavirus infections and 314 deaths in those younger than 18. He also cited a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which indicated low hospitalization rates among adolescents, at just two per 100,000 at the peak.  Of the 204 children under study, nearly one-third were sent to an ICU and 5% required mechanical ventilation, however, there were no deaths. Also, 70.6% of the total had at least one underlying medical issue. (Rivas, 6/12)

Reuters: U.S. Has Administered Over 309 Million Doses Of Covid-19 Vaccines, CDC Says
The United States had administered 309,322,545 doses of Covid-19 vaccines and distributed 374,398,105 doses in the country as of Sunday morning, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Those figures were up from the 308,112,728 doses of vaccine that the CDC said had been administered as of Saturday, out of 374,397,205 doses delivered. (6/13)

In other updates on the vaccine rollout —

CBS News: CBS News Poll: Vaccinated Or Not, Americans Venture Out 
In terms of who is out and about, vaccinated people tend to be comfortable, but non-vaccinated people — of whom there are still many — are just as comfortable, if not more so, going out to public places than those who are vaccinated. Those who say they won't get the shot are more likely to be comfortable at a large event. (Salvanto, De Pinto an dBackus, 6/13)

The Washington Post: Region Tries To Boost Coronavirus Vaccine Uptake Among Law Enforcement 
As the Washington region’s coronavirus vaccination efforts continue, public health officials are homing in on segments of the population slow to get the shot — such as law enforcement officers. While no comprehensive surveying has been done in the region, Virginia officials say less than half of State Police troopers are vaccinated and about 50 percent of corrections officers in the state have been vaccinated. (Portnoy, 6/13)

Crain's Detroit Business: Family Doctors Dig In To Overcome COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy
Dr. Chris Bush, a veteran family physician in the Detroit suburb of Riverview, put out a call on social media recently. Under the modest Spanish tile roofed office building, a basic white kitchen refrigerator holds 90 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Once in hot demand — in March, eager people were driving hours to vaccine appoints and sometimes out of state — Bush struggles to find willing arms to place the shots. "We're open to anyone in the public," said Bush, a soft-spoken doctor who has practiced family medicine for more than 30 years. "We're so blessed to have the vaccine and I'd hate to see it go to waste, but demand seems to have trickled off." (Walsh, 6/13)

Houston Chronicle: Mayor Sylvester Turner Spent Saturday Bar Hopping To Increase Houston's Vaccination Rate
John Gipson sipped a margarita as he waited the necessary 15 minutes under the watchful eye of health workers after receiving the coronavirus vaccine. Gipson, 50, did so with the encouragement of Houston leaders, who are turning out at concerts and clubs to try to find people who still need the vaccines. That outreach Saturday included a grassy field in Acres Homes, steps from the Montgomery Road stops for Route 44 buses that give the community its “44” or “fo-fo” nickname. A Houston Health Department van and crew occupied a corner of the CAMZ Food Truck Park on opening day, as hundreds streamed in for an evening of concerts. Elected leaders took to the stage to celebrate the opening but also to boost vaccine numbers. (Begley, 6/13)

Mississippi Clarion-Ledger: Mississippi Health Officials Push For More COVID-19 Vaccinations
As COVID-19 vaccination rates in Mississippi continue to stagnate, state health department officials are again encouraging more residents to roll up their sleeves to get the pandemic under control. State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs said that while infection and hospitalization levels have been declining for the past several weeks, variant strains still present a risk. "We still have people who are getting sick and dying," he said. "But we are seeing some complacency." (Rowe, 6/11)

NPR: Anti-Vaccine Activists Spread Fear About COVID Vaccines With Selective Data
The largest U.S. database for detecting events that might be vaccine side-effects is being used by activists to spread disinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. Known as the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), the database includes hundreds of thousands of reports of health events that occurred minutes, hours or days after vaccination. Many of the reported events are coincidental — things that happen by chance, not caused by the shot. But when millions of people are vaccinated within a short period, the total number of these reported events can look big. (Brumfiel, 6/14)

AP: As COVID-19 Cases Wane, Vaccine-Lagging Areas Still See Risk
New COVID-19 cases are declining across most of the country, even in some states with vaccine-hesitant populations. But almost all states bucking that trend have lower-than-average vaccination rates, and experts warn that relief from the pandemic could be fleeting in regions where few people get inoculated. Case totals nationally have declined in a week from a seven-day average of nearly 21,000 on May 29 to 14,315 on Saturday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. For weeks, states and cities have been dropping virus restrictions and mask mandates, even indoors. (Lovan and Willingham, 6/13)

USA Today: COVID Infections Rise In Eight States; Most Have Low Vaccination Rates
New COVID-19 cases are declining across most of the nation, and seven of the eight states where cases are rising have below-average vaccination rates, new data reveals. Alabama, Arkansas, Hawaii, Missouri, Nevada, Texas, Utah and Wyoming have seen their seven-day rolling averages for infection rates rise from two weeks earlier, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. All of them except Hawaii have recorded vaccination rates that are lower than the US average of 43% fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Aspegren and Bacon, 6/14)

The Boston Globe: COVID-19 Metrics Improving Overall, But Minority Communities Still ‘On Fire,’ Advocate Says
Although rates of coronavirus have been declining statewide, the Black Boston COVID-19 Coalition said Sunday that Black and Latino communities remain at critical risk. While attention and resources slowly turn away from combating the pandemic, “we’re left with a community on fire,” said Dianne Wilkerson, cofounder of the Black Boston COVID-19 Coalition. “Our fear — and I don’t use that lightly — we are scared to death that we are in the process we knew was coming when America and Boston moves on and the world opens up, and 65 and 70 percent of our respective population is unvaccinated with the delta variant from overseas on shore and coming for us,” said Wilkerson, a former state senator, in a phone interview Sunday. (Phillips, 6/13)

Health News Florida: What Florida's Switch To Weekly COVID Reports Means For Tracking Efforts
Throughout the pandemic, Florida’s Department of Health put out daily COVID-19 reports with data including new cases and positivity rates. Now, those reports are weekly. Reports on cases at long-term care facilities, correctional facilities and schools are also gone from the department's website. "This decision was made as Florida transitions into the next phase of the COVID-19 response," wrote Weesam Khoury, the Department of Health's communications director, in an email to WLRN. "As vaccinations increase and new case positivity rate decreases, the weekly report includes identified key data." (Zaragovia, 6/13)

The Washington Post: 600,000 Dead: With Normal Life In Reach, Covid’s Late-Stage Victims Lament What Could Have Been
They came so close. Philip Sardelis already had his vaccine appointment in hand. Cinnamon Jamila Key had just received her first shot. Charles Pryor tried but couldn’t get the coronavirus vaccine in time. Alexey Aguilar had been reluctant to commit to such a new medicine but was coming around to the idea. And then covid-19 took them. On top of the grief and sorrow, their families now also must deal with the unfairness, the eternal mystery of what might have been. (Fisher, Nirappil, Gowen and Rozsa, 6/11)

Also —

CBS News: Biden's Ex-COVID Adviser Faults Trump Administration For "Deadly Sins" At Start Of Pandemic
Andy Slavitt, who until last week was President Biden's senior adviser for the COVID-19 response, said Sunday that the Trump administration committed three "deadly sins" in its handling of the coronavirus pandemic that cost American lives. In an interview with "Face the Nation," Slavitt said the country would have grappled with the pandemic last year regardless of who was in the White House, but detailed the three errors made by the prior administration: Former President Donald Trump's downplaying of the virus and its existence; his quashing of dissent from public health experts; and his stoking of divisions across the country. (Quinn, 6/13)

CIDRAP: Most Severe COVID Patient Autopsies Showed Muscle Inflammation
In autopsies of 43 hospitalized COVID patients and 11 patients hospitalized for other health issues in Germany, those with COVID-19 were associated with more skeletal muscle inflammation, according to a study today in JAMA Neurology. The researchers looked at cryopreserved quadriceps, deltoids, lungs, and heart tissues in people who died from March 2020 to February 2021. (6/11)

Becker's Hospital Review: Cleveland Clinic Researchers Identify Link Between COVID-19, Alzheimer's-Like Brain Impairment
While neurological problems have been a common symptom among COVID-19 long-haulers, the underlying mechanisms for this have remained largely unknown. A new study led by Cleveland Clinic researchers may have a glimpse at the answer. The research, published June 9 in Alzheimer's Research & Therapy, leveraged artificial intelligence to compare existing datasets between patients with COVID-19 and Alzheimer's.  (Carbajal, 6/11)

Modern Healthcare: FDA Issues Warning About Innova COVID Antigen Test
Food and Drug Administration last week requested that Innova Medical Group stop sales of its COVID antigen rapid qualitative test and warned the public against using the test, citing concerns about its performance. Innova promotes the lateral flow immunochromatographic assay, which is designed to detect SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein antigens in nasal swab specimens, as having demonstrated 97% sensitivity and 99% specificity for detecting infectious patients. (6/13)

Reuters: Celltrion Says Trial Shows Antibody COVID-19 Treatment To Be Safe And Effective
South Korean drugmaker Celltrion Inc on Monday announced positive results for its experimental antibody COVID-19 treatment that it said was safe and reduced the treatment period by nearly five days in Phase 3 global clinical trials. The trials, which involved 1,315 participants, have taken place since January in 13 countries, including in South Korea, the United States, Spain and Romania, Celltrion said in a statement. (Cha, 6/13)

In other covid research news —

The Wall Street Journal: Quail? Beta? Scientists Bicker Over What To Call Coronavirus Variants 
An idea reached the World Health Organization earlier this year: How about naming new variants of the coronavirus after sing-songy North American birds? Repurposing the robin or quail as catchy labels for ungainly mutants would be less confusing for the public, an epidemiologist based in Switzerland had mused. That would appease politicians in member states like South Africa and India who were unhappy with the way ordinary people named new virus strains after the country where they were first discovered: “the South African variant,” “the Indian variant.” (Hinshaw and Steinhauser, 6/13)

The Washington Post: Seeking Clues To Mysteries Of Coronavirus By Studying A Person’s Ability To Taste Bitterness
An ENT doctor and his team are among thousands of researchers confronting the pandemic. They hope their work will provide a better way to fight covid-19. (Hoover Bartlett, 6/12)

Axios: Using Smart Thermometers To Predict The Next COVID Wave In New York 
New York City will harness data from thousands of internet-connected smart thermometers to identify future outbreaks days or even weeks before case numbers start rising. By the time large numbers of sick people start showing up in hospitals, it's often too late to quickly curb a new outbreak. But devices that can instantly alert health officials when unusual fevers are popping up in households can give them time to stop further spread. (Walsh, 6/12)

New York Post: New COVID Sensor Can Smell Virus In Crowded Room: Researchers
A new device can sniff out if someone in a crowded room has COVID-19, British researchers say. The highly accurate ceiling-mounted sensor takes as few as 15 minutes to raise a coronavirus alarm, says development firm RoboScientific. The room monitor, a little larger than a smoke detector, notices changes in odor to the skin or breath experienced by people during the illness, the company says. (Salo, 6/13)

Houston Chronicle: Judge Tosses Houston Methodist Vaccine Mandate Lawsuit
A federal judge tossed a lawsuit against Houston Methodist over its policy to terminate workers who refuse to get the COVID vaccine, calling it “reprehensible” that plaintiffs compared the requirement to those made under Nazi Germany. In the lawsuit on behalf of 117 Houston Methodist employees, lawyers likened the vaccine requirement to the Nuremberg Code, a set of medical ethics standards created at the end of World War II following medical experiments by the Nazis on German citizens. (Wu, 6/13)

NBC News: Judge Dismisses Lawsuit By Houston Hospital Employees Over Covid-19 Vaccinations
The employees' lawyer, Jared Woodfill responded in a statement Saturday, "This is just one battle in a larger war to protect the rights of employees to be free from being forced to participate in a vaccine trial as a condition for employment." He said they would appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court "if necessary." On Tuesday, hospital officials said they had suspended 178 employees who refused to be inoculated. (Romero, 6/13)

In other news about health care personnel —

Becker's Hospital Review: America's Physician Shortage Could Top 139,000 By 2033
The U.S. could face a shortage of between 54,100 and 139,000 physicians by 2033, according to new data from the Association of American Medical Colleges. The estimate is higher than AAMC's 2019 report, which projected a shortage of up to 121,900 physicians by 2032."This annual analysis continues to show that our country will face a significant shortage of physicians in the coming years," AAMC President and CEO David Skorton, MD, said in a news release. (Gooch, 6/11)

AP: Worker Shortage Causes Long Waits For Child Psychiatric Care
Psychiatric facilities have enough beds to treat children in Kansas in need of intensive mental health care, but a worker shortage means that about 100 of those spots remain empty. Kansas News Service reports that in recent years, children have often waited months for openings in specialized facilities that offer long-term psychiatric care. In mid-2018, the average wait was nearly 200 days. (6/13)

Fierce Healthcare: More Physicians Have Become Millionaires Since Before The Pandemic, Survey Finds 
Many physicians increased their net worth over the last year of quarantine despite reporting relatively steady incomes and COVID-19-related practice issues, according to new survey data. Among nearly 18,000 physician respondents polled by Medscape, the proportion of those reporting a net worth greater than $1 million increased from 50% the previous year to 56% in 2020. (Muoio, 6/11)

AP: AMA Doctors Meet Amid Vocal Backlash Over Racial Equity Plan
The nation’s largest, most influential doctors’ group is holding its annual policymaking meeting amid backlash over its most ambitious plan ever — to help dismantle centuries-old racism and bias in all realms of the medical establishment. The dissenters are a vocal minority of physicians, including some white Southern delegates who accuse the American Medical Association of reverse discrimination. (Tanner, 6/12)

Modern Healthcare: COO Of Network Security Company Charged With Hospital Cyberattack
Vikas Singla, the chief operating officer of an Atlanta-based Securolytics, a network security company serving healthcare organizations, was arraigned last week on charges that in 2018 he caused a cyberattack on a Georgia hospital. According to the Department of Justice, Singla allegedly caused a cyberattack on Gwinnett Medical Center that "involved disrupting phone service, obtaining information from a digitizing device, and disrupting network printer service." The indictment further alleges that the cyberattack was conducted, in part, for financial gain. (6/13)

Stat: Alzheimer's Association Blasts Biogen Over Price Of New Drug Aduhelm
In harsh tones, the Alzheimer’s Association sharply criticized Biogen for the $56,000 price tag placed on its newly approved Alzheimer’s treatment, a move that threatens to embroil the biotech company and its medication in yet another national controversy. The patient advocacy group released a brief statement on Saturday calling the wholesale price “simply unacceptable” and that, for many people, it “will pose an insurmountable barrier to access … and may further deepen issues of health equity.” The organization expressed gratitude that the drug was approved in response to a “vast unmet need,” but called on Biogen to change the price. (Silverman, 6/12)

CNBC: Biogen Alzheimer’s Drug And The New Battle Over Dementia Treatment
The FDA’s approval of Biogen’s Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm was a landmark moment in the life of Dr. Paul Aisen. The director of the Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute at USC has spent the past three decades focused on treating the neurodegenerative disease, and in recent years helped shepherd this particular drug through the various phases of clinical trials. But sitting in his sun-drenched office in San Diego in early June, he felt slightly confounded by the manner in which the Food and Drug Administration approved its use on an “accelerated” basis, which is usually reserved for cancer medications. This meant its clinical benefits were considered likely, but approval for long-term use would be subject to more extensive study in a fourth phase of trials. (Marx, 6/12)

Stat: ‘I'm Just Winging It’: Confusing Alzheimer's Drug Data Cloud Doctors' Advice
Their phones are ringing off the hook and their email inboxes are filling up with questions without answers. Doctors who care for patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease — or people worried that they might be — are feeling the brunt of last week’s decision by the Food and Drug Administration to grant conditional approval to the first new Alzheimer’s drug in 18 years. That approval is broad, making no distinction between the mild, moderate, and advanced stages of the memory-robbing disease and setting no requirements for its diagnosis. (Cooney, 6/14)

KHN: Journalists Discuss New Alzheimer’s Drug, Women’s Alcohol Use, The Hip-Hop And Opioids Link
KHN chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner discussed the FDA’s approval of a new drug for Alzheimer’s disease on WAMU’s “1A” on Wednesday. ... KHN correspondent Aneri Pattani discussed the increase in alcohol use and misuse by young women on NPR’s “All Things Considered” on Wednesday. (6/12)

In related news —

Politico: Controversial Drug Approval Stokes Concern About Lack Of A Permanent FDA Chief 
The Food and Drug Administration’s approval of a controversial new Alzheimer’s drug this week has hardened opposition to acting commissioner Janet Woodcock, who remains President Joe Biden’s apparent favorite to be the agency’s permanent leader. The administration's search for a permanent FDA head has dragged on for months during an unprecedented public health crisis. Woodcock, a veteran regulator, has presided over major decisions on the pandemic response, tobacco and new medicines — including the $56,000-a-year Biogen Alzheimer's drug approved Monday despite thin evidence that it works. (Owermohle, Cancryn and Gardner, 6/11)

The New York Times: F.D.A. Still Lacks A Permanent Commissioner 
The contested decision by the Food and Drug Administration earlier this week to approve a drug to treat Alzheimer’s has renewed concerns about the Biden administration’s prolonged delay in choosing a permanent commissioner to lead the agency. It has also once again exposed the sharp divide between supporters and detractors of the F.D.A.’s interim commissioner, Dr. Janet Woodcock, the longtime chief of the agency’s drug division who has seemed to be on an extended tryout for the top post. (Kaplan, 6/12)

Reuters: Philips Recalls Ventilators, Sleep Apnea Machines Due To Health Risks 
Dutch medical equipment company Philips (PHG.AS) has recalled some breathing devices and ventilators because of a foam part that might degrade and become toxic, potentially causing cancer, it said on Monday. Foam used to dampen the machines' sound can degrade and emit small particles that irritate airways, the group said as it announced the recall. Gases released by the degrading foam may also be toxic or carry cancer risks. (Sterling, 6/14)

Axios: FDA Authorizes Use Of Stroke Recovery Device For Hands 
The Food and Drug Administration has authorized the use of IpsiHand, a device that assists people recovering from a stroke by using signals from the uninjured parts of their brain to help restore the use of a non-functioning hand, NPR reports. IpsiHand's FDA authorization allows NeuroLutions, the company that founded the technology, to manufacture the device to assist patients who are no longer benefiting from traditional rehabilitation. (Reyes, 6/13)

In pharmaceutical industry news —

FiercePharma: Bayer Pledges $300M To Boost Production In World's 'Contraceptive Capital’ 
Bayer, currently in the midst of a gung-ho cell therapy expansion in the U.S., is turning its attention back to Europe as it looks to beef up its birth control manufacturing in the world's "contraceptive capital." The company has designs on a €250 million ($303 million) investment for a new production plant in Turku, Finland, which it's pegged to become "one of the most modern" factories in the world thanks to its heavy use of automation and robotics, Bayer said in a release Thursday. The cash will also be used to make upgrades at an existing plant there. (Kansteiner, 6/11)

Axios: How America’s Top Hospitals Send Patient Costs Soaring
In February 2018, Stephen Swett went to the emergency room at Westchester Medical Center in New York seeking help for withdrawal from Suboxone, which treats opioid addiction. Swett — a 44-year old truck driver — says he sat on a gurney until he was discharged. Then in June of last year, the hospital filed a court summons, the beginning of its attempt to collect the $2,539.43 it said Swett owed for his trip. (McGhee and Chase, 6/14)

Axios: Most Top Hospitals Charge A More Than 5x Markup 
Some of the hospitals with the highest revenue in the country also have some of the highest prices, charging an average of 10 times more than the actual cost of the care they deliver, according to new research by Johns Hopkins University provided exclusively to Axios. Hospitals each determine their own charges, or list prices. While few patients ever pay those prices, due to negotiated insurance rates, they do affect the uninsured and, experts say, ultimately influence the overall price we all pay. (Reed, 6/14)

Axios: Some Of America's Largest Hospitals Regularly Sue Their Patients For Unpaid Medical Debt. 
More than a quarter of the 100 U.S. hospitals with the highest revenue sued patients over unpaid medical bills between 2018 and mid-2020, according to new research by Johns Hopkins University provided exclusively to Axios. The report suggests that, rather than being an anomaly, patient lawsuits are relatively common across the country and among the largest providers. (Owens, 6/14)

Axios: Big New York Hospitals Dominate List Of Hospitals That Sue A Lot 
Among large hospitals that sue their patients, those in one state stand out: New York. “New York was the most aggressive region in the country in predatory billing,” said Marty Makary, a Johns Hopkins professor and lead researcher on a new study detailing the billing practices of the 100 largest hospitals in the U.S. (Owens, 6/13)

Axios: Some Hospitals Turn To Liens Over Lawsuits 
Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee has taken plenty of court actions in pursuit of getting paid for medical services provided. But in the last year, those efforts have taken the form of hospital liens. Froedtert offers a look at the different legal avenues large hospital systems use to collects on patient debt. (Reed, 6/14)

Axios: Public Spotlight On Hospital Lawsuits May Slow Them Down 
Hospitals sued patients much less often in 2020 than in the previous two years, and there are signs that this may signify change that lasts beyond the pandemic, according to new research by Johns Hopkins University provided exclusively to Axios. Some hospitals that received a lot of negative publicity over their billing practices stopped suing patients altogether. (Owens, 6/14)

Health News Florida: Autism Provider Challenges State Over Medicaid Verification System
The state’s largest provider of autism services has filed an administrative complaint against the Medicaid program, alleging that an electronic visit-verification system being tested in eight Southeast Florida counties is a roadblock to reimbursement and an overstep by the Agency for Health Care Administration. Stuart-based Positive Behavior Support alleges that the so-called EVV system or someone with access to it is changing behavior-analysis claims after submission and making them invalid. (6/12)

Fierce Healthcare: HHS To Give $424M To Rural Health Clinics For COVID-19 Tests, Mitigation Strategies 
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced $424.7 million in funding to more than 4,200 rural health clinics for COVID-19 tests and efforts to mitigate the virus. The funding, released Friday, is part of a larger effort by the Biden administration to address equity gaps in healthcare. (King, 6/11)

Fierce Healthcare: HHS Gives Providers Flexibility On Spending COVID-19 Relief Funds, Updates Reporting Requirements 
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) left intact a June 30 deadline for providers to use COVID-19 relief funds they accrued from April 10 through June 30 of 2020 after a major push from hospital groups asking for more time. But the agency did give more flexibility for providers to spend funding if they got it after June 30, 2020. (King, 6/11)

Modern Healthcare: Aetna, Cleveland Clinic-Backed Startup To Use Blockchain On Interoperability
Aetna, Cleveland Clinic, Healthcare Service Corp. and several other companies are backing a new venture aimed at using blockchain technology to make healthcare more efficient. The move builds off growing interest by industry leaders in blockchain's potential to improve interoperability and transparency in care networks. Aetna and HCSC paired with IBM and PNC Bank to create an "inclusive blockchain network" able to exchange healthcare information more efficiently in early 2019. Their new venture announced on Wednesday, called Avaneer Health, is a standalone utility network born from that initiative. (Gellman, 6/11)

KHN: In Alleged Health Care ‘Money Grab,’ Nation’s Largest Hospital Chain Cashes In On Trauma Centers
After falling from a ladder and cutting his arm, Ed Knight said, he found himself at Richmond, Virginia’s Chippenham Hospital surrounded by nearly a dozen doctors, nurses and technicians — its crack “trauma team” charged with saving the most badly hurt victims of accidents and assaults. But Knight’s wound, while requiring about 30 stitches, wasn’t life-threatening. Hospital records called it “mild.” The people in white coats quickly scattered, he remembered, and he went home about three hours later. (Hancock, 6/14)

The Washington Post: The Past 2 Decades Have Seen Dramatic Rise In Elderly Taking Drugs That Can Lead To Falls
If you are 65 or older, you probably take at least one prescription drug, possibly several, as well as over-the-counter medications. These may include drugs that lower blood pressure, improve mood, prevent seizures or fight allergies, among others. While there are good reasons to use them, experts say that many of them also can raise the risk of potentially dangerous falls. “These drugs are doing what they are supposed to be doing, but also are working off target,” says Amy Shaver, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health at the University of Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions, and lead author of a recent study that examined the problem. “There are valid reasons to prescribe them. But they can be problematic.” (Cimons, 6/13)

Stat: Children In Rural Areas Face Increasing Barriers To Pediatric Care 
Hospital beds for children with asthma, pneumonia, viral infections, and other serious illnesses have declined in the last 10 years, mainly in rural areas. In a new study published Monday in Pediatrics, researchers found that the percentage of U.S. hospitals with inpatient units for pediatric care decreased, as did the number of beds in units that remained open. (Lloreda, 6/14)

KHN: In Mental Health Crises, A 911 Call Now Brings A Mixed Team Of Helpers — And Maybe No Cops
By the time Kiki Radermacher, a mental health therapist, arrived at a Missoula, Montana, home on an emergency 911 call in late May, the man who had called for help was backed into a corner and yelling at police officers. The home, which he was renting, was about to be sold. He had called 911 when his fear of becoming homeless turned to thoughts of killing himself. “I asked him, ‘Will you sit with me?’” recalled Radermacher, a member of the city’s mobile crisis response team who answered the call with a medic and helped connect the man with support services. “We really want to empower people, to find solutions.” (Houghton, 6/14)

KHN: ‘An Arm And A Leg’: When Your Insurance Company Says No, How To Ask For A Yes 
Jeannine Cain started her career dealing with insurance companies for various medical offices. Later she worked for Blue Cross Blue Shield, and now she is a health care data consultant. She really knows how things operate behind the scenes. When her son got a jumbo-size medical bill, she put her knowledge to work — and wrote an appeal letter. Now she’s sharing that knowledge — and the letter — with us. (Weissmann, 6/14)

In news about marijuana and drug use —

Fox News: Florida Mom Demands Clearer Label On Marijuana Edibles After Child Winds Up In Hospital
A Florida mom is urging stricter packaging regulations on THC products after her 6-year-old daughter allegedly ate a Faded Fruits cannabis-infused gummy thinking it was candy. Morgan McCoy of Pensacola took to Facebook on June 1 detailing how her child, McKendrick, happened upon the gummy and ended up in the hospital. It all began over Memorial Day weekend, when McCoy visited her in-laws in Jacksonville. A group of friends, who allegedly are legal, medical marijuana patients, were gathered at the house. While McCoy left the house to see a relative, her husband stayed behind. (Rivas, 6/12)

Fox News: New Mexico Warns On Wound Botulism Among Drug Users After Several Suspected Cases
Health officials in New Mexico are investigating two suspected cases of wound botulism in residents with reported injection drug use. The state noted that two prior cases were reported in January, with cases primarily linked to injecting black tar heroin and methamphetamines. On average, about 20 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with wound botulism each year. Most patients report skin popping or muscle popping black tar heroin, but the direct link to the germ is unclear, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH), the two new cases involve a 26-year-old woman in Rio Arriba County, and a 40-year-old man from Bernalillo County. (Hein, 6/12)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Research Finds Link Between Marijuana And Fewer Work Comp Claims
Temple University Professor Johanna Catherine Maclean is an economist who studies the impact of substance use on the labor market. Maclean’s recent research has focused on how medical and recreational marijuana legalization affects the ability to work productively, using the frequency of workers’ compensation claims as a measure. As the landscape of medical and recreational marijuana statutes continues to shift as states such as New Jersey legalize the substance, Maclean is a leader of this emerging area of research. “These medical and recreational marijuana policies are quite new, so we have a lot more to learn,” she said. “These are policies in motion.” (Rosenberg, (6/14)

The Washington Post: California Set To Lift Distancing Curbs As Vaccinations Pass 40 Million 
California will fully reopen its economy and lift most social distancing curbs on Tuesday, after having administered more than 40 million vaccine doses. “It’s been a long road, but our future is BRIGHT,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) in a Sunday tweet, adding that the nation’s most populous state had injected 16 million more shots than anyone else. (Ang, 6/14)

San Francisco Chronicle: California's Reopening Dangers: Scary Variants, Unvaccinated Pockets
Marin County is the most vaccinated place in California, but last month it got a taste of the hazards that may lie ahead as the state reopens and pockets of people remain vulnerable to the coronavirus. County health officials first spotted a handful of cases across Ross Valley, a cozy part of Marin County that has mostly avoided the worst of the pandemic. Over two weeks in early May, the outbreak grew to 19. All but two were people who hadn’t been vaccinated. Later, officials linked the outbreak to the delta variant — the highly contagious strain first identified in India that has caused a resurgence in cases in the United Kingdom. (Allday, 6/13)

Southern California News Group: How California Theme Parks Will Verify Visitors Have Been Vaccinated
Coronavirus guidelines call for Disney, Universal and other California theme parks to verify that visitors have been vaccinated once the state’s economy fully reopens on June 15 — but what does that mean and how are the parks supposed to pull off that massive undertaking?Fully vaccinated Californians will no longer be required to wear masks at the state’s theme parks on June 15, but people attending “mega events” must provide either proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test. Turns out, the new state requirements sound more onerous than they really are — for both theme parks and their unvaccinated visitors. But as has often been the case throughout the pandemic, the state’s COVID-19 health and safety guidelines are complex and confusing. (Macdonald, 6/13)

Los Angeles Times: L.A. Archdiocese To Drop COVID-19 Limits For The Vaccinated
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has issued new instructions to its more than 300 parishes to host full indoor masses without restrictions for vaccinated parishioners, such as social distancing and mask-wearing, beginning Saturday and June 20. Archbishop José Gomez sent out a letter over the weekend acknowledging “the significant progress in our fight against the pandemic” and established next weekend as homecoming dates for area Catholics. (Campa, 6/13)

Also —

Bay Area News Group: Stricter COVID Rules Didn't Hurt California's Economy: Report
Regulations aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 did not come at the expense of California’s economy, according to a new report that found states that took a more hands-off approach to the pandemic did not see an economic boost from their limited regulation. The findings from the UCLA Anderson Forecast are “diametrically opposed” to the narrative common among some COVID-19 regulation opponents that the public health orders undermined economic recovery, said Director Jerry Nickelsburg. (Castañeda, 6/13)

Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio May Let Doctors Refuse To Give Medical Service If It Violates Their Religious Beliefs
Ohio physicians, hospitals and health insurance companies could refuse to provide or pay for a medical service if it violates their moral beliefs, under language inserted into the state budget bill this week. The new language would also give medical practitioners immunity from lawsuits for refusing such and allow them to sue others. Abortion rights and LGBTQ advocates sounded the alarm this week, fearing more restricted access to reproductive health care and more discrimination. Those on the other side hailed the measure as essential for protecting religious freedoms. (Wu and Balmert, 6/13)

AP: Bill Would Permanently Expand Telehealth Services
A new bill in Washington would permanently expand telehealth services under Medicare and allow patients in rural areas without access to broadband to use audio services, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said. “It should not have taken a pandemic for Medicare to finally unlock the potential of telehealth services — and now we need to make sure that these vital telehealth services continue to be available to patients long after the COVID-19 pandemic is over,” Shaheen said in a statement. (6/13)

Billings Gazette: Montana Had More Deaths Than Births In 2020 For 1st Time
During the pandemic Montana saw more deaths than births for the first time since that data has been tracked. Early and provisional data from the state health department and a report compiled by a demographer, document the stark statistics for 2020, a year dramatically altered by the pandemic. Montana’s mortality rate increased by 14% in 2020, according to the Department of Public Health and Human Services. There were 12,018 deaths compared to 10,791 live births — the first time deaths surpassed births since 1908, when records started being kept. (Michels, 6/13)

Salt Lake Tribune: More Leadership Changes At The Utah Department Of Health, As Its Director Moves To A New State ‘Innovation’ Job
The leadership of the Utah Department of Health is changing again — with executive director Rich Saunders leaving after less than a year in the job to take on a newly created role in Gov. Spencer Cox’s administration. Cox has named Saunders the state’s first chief innovation officer, to join the governor’s senior staff starting June 21. Saunders, according to a statement Friday from Cox’s office, will be in charge of Cox’s plans “to aggressively upgrade state government efficiencies, innovations and responsiveness to Utah residents.” (Means, 6/11)

Indianapolis Star: Indiana Gets $40M From CDC To Address COVID-Related Health Disparities
Indiana and Marion County will receive more than $40 million in federal funds of a $2.25 billion national purse aimed at addressing health disparities stemming from the COVID pandemic. The money represents the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's largest investment to date focused on improving health equity. Geared for local and state health departments, the grants focus on improving COVID testing and contact tracing for higher risk, underserved populations, including racial and ethnic minority groups. This money can also be used to reduce COVID-19-related health disparities and improve the ability to control viral spread, the CDC said in a press release. (Rudavsky, 6/11)

And beware of red tide and poisonous caterpillars —

The New York Times: Maine Residents Fend Off Poisonous Caterpillars
While parts of the country deal with swarms of cicadas this summer, Maine is struggling with an infestation of an invasive species of caterpillar with poisonous hairs that can cause people to develop painful rashes and even breathing problems. The caterpillars, known as browntail moths, are about 1.5 inches long and have white dashes down their sides and two red dots on their backs. (Jimenez, 6/13)

WUSF Public Media: Health Alert Issued In Pinellas As Red Tide Spreads North Along Coast 
Officials in Pinellas County issued a health alert for the area’s beaches as an outbreak of red tide persisted off the coast and spread north to Sand Key south of Clearwater Beach. Karenia brevis, the organism that causes red tide, has now been found in low to medium concentrations in Tampa Bay and off the beaches of Fort De Soto, Pass-a-Grille, Redington Beach, Redington Shores, Indian Shores and Sand Key. (Ochoa, 6/13)

CNBC: UK's Boris Johnson To Extend Covid-19 Restrictions In England: Reports
Boris Johnson is expected to announce a delay to the next phase of England’s reopening of up to four weeks on Monday, amid a surge in the delta variant of Covid-19 first discovered in India. Rules including the use of face masks, limiting the number of people who can meeting indoors and out, and shutting nightclubs and similar venues were due to be lifted on June 21, but British media reports suggest this could now be pushed back as late as July 19. At the moment, gatherings are limited to six people indoors and 30 outdoors. (Smith, 6/14)

AP: Germany Records Fewest Virus Cases In 9 Months
Germany has recorded its lowest number of new daily coronavirus infections in nearly nine months, and officials are floating the possibility of loosening mask-wearing rules. The Robert Koch Institute, the national disease control center, said Monday that 549 new cases were reported over the previous 24 hours. It’s the first time since Sept. 21 that the figure has been under 1,000, though it’s typical for numbers over the weekend to be relatively low because fewer tests are conducted and reported. (6/14)

AP: Moscow Orders New Restrictions As Covid-19 Infections Soar In The City
Moscow's mayor on Saturday ordered a week off for some workplaces and imposed restrictions on many businesses to fight coronavirus infections that have more than doubled in the past week. The national coronavirus task force reported 6,701 new confirmed cases in Moscow, compared with 2,936 on June 6. Nationally, the daily tally has spiked by nearly half over the past week, to 13,510. (6/13)

Axios: Saudi Arabia Limits Hajj Pilgrimage For Second Year Due To Pandemic 
Saudi Arabia announced Saturday it was barring foreign visitors and limiting this year's hajj pilgrimage to 60,000 people from within the kingdom due to the coronavirus pandemic. It's the second year the pandemic has forced the country to restrict the annual pilgrimage, which typically draws 2 million Muslims from around the world. The hajj last year was limited to about 1,000 people. (6/12)

CNBC: India Covid Crisis: Making Vaccines Readily Available Is A Challenge
India set an ambitious target to manufacture more than 2 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines by December — enough to inoculate most of its massive 1.3 billion population. But authorities have to convince people to get their shots, particularly those in small towns and villages in the countryside where there’s a degree of vaccine hesitancy. Vaccine delivery and access are also challenges in rural areas due to the lack of infrastructure. (Choudhury, 6/14)

In other global developments —

Reuters: Take Your Condoms Home: Social Distancing And Sex In The Olympic Village 
Tokyo Olympic organisers plan to give away about 150,000 condoms at next month's Games, but are telling athletes to take them home rather than use them in the Olympic village where social distancing rules and coronavirus measures are the top priority. Large numbers of condoms have been given out at the Games since the 1988 Seoul Olympics to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS, and organisers said the International Olympic Committee had requested their continued distribution. (Murakami, 6/13)

CIDRAP: Two Monkeypox Cases Confirmed In United Kingdom
Two monkeypox patients were identified in the United Kingdom at the end of May, one traveling from Nigeria and the other who was quarantining with the first patient upon arrival, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today. The WHO adds that the public health risk for monkeypox in the United Kingdom is low. ... Monkeypox is transmitted by contact and droplet exposure. (6/11)

The Washington Post: China Denies CNN Report Of Taishan Nuclear Plant Leak
China’s Taishan Nuclear Power Plant said accusations of dangerous levels of radiation leakage at the facility were untrue, claiming on Sunday that its two reactors “met the requirements of nuclear safety” and were operating normally. The Taishan plant, a joint venture between China General Nuclear Power Group and Électricité de France, came under scrutiny after CNN reported on Monday that U.S. officials had spent the last week assessing a warning from its French partner that Chinese safety officials were raising the allowed limits of radiation outside the plant to avoid having to shut the facility down. (Kuo, 6/14)

AP: Doctor Says Denmark Star Christian Eriksen’s Heart Stopped Before Being Resuscitated 
Denmark’s team doctor said Sunday that Christian Eriksen’s heart stopped and that “he was gone” before being resuscitated with a defibrillator at the European Championship. Eriksen collapsed during Denmark’s opening Euro 2020 group game against Finland on Saturday and was given lengthy medical treatment before regaining consciousness. “He was gone. And we did cardiac resuscitation. And it was cardiac arrest,” said team doctor Morten Boesen, who led the work in giving Eriksen treatment on the field. “How close were we? I don’t know. We got him back after one defib. That’s quite fast.” (6/13)

The New York Times: Moderna, AstraZeneca … Or Both? A Mixed Covid Vaccine Approach. 
At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was unclear whether researchers would be able to create a single working vaccine, which makes it all the more surprising that the latest immunization dilemma arises from having multiple vaccine options. Because of unpredictable supply and some concerns about an exceedingly rare but serious clotting risk from the AstraZeneca vaccine, public health officials in some parts of the world that have relied heavily on that shot have recently issued new guidance on mixing and matching different Covid-19 vaccines. (Roxanne Khamsi, 6/13)

Stat: America's Broken PPE Supply Chain Must Be Fixed Now 
Almost everyone knows by now that the U.S. was ill-prepared to combat Covid-19. But few realize that the structural problems in the supply chain that plagued the government’s response haven’t been fixed. It’s crucial to address these vulnerabilities now. There’s no telling when the inevitable next health crisis will hit. (John Wharton, 6/14)

Stat: If Vaccine Apartheid Exists, Vaccine Billionaires Shouldn't 
To understand why billionaires are a sign of moral and economic failure, look no further than the Covid-19 pandemic. Drug corporations could earn $190 billion from Covid-19 vaccine sales this year. Pharmaceutical profits have minted nine new pandemic billionaires, and helped eight existing billionaires enlarge their fortunes. Several of these are founders and private investors in three pharmaceutical corporations — Moderna, BioNTech, and CureVac — whose vaccines use mRNA technology that was largely developed from publicly funded research. (Rohit Malpani, 6/12)

The Atlantic: What Changes When Almost Everyone Can Get Vaccinated 
From the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the practice of public health has also required the practice of law. As widespread vaccination and other factors have brought case rates down across the United States, state and local governments’ legal authority to impose extraordinary measures in the name of fighting the virus is becoming more limited. Governors and mayors have steadily lifted restrictions not just because infections are down, because vaccinations have increased, or because the public can no longer tolerate pandemic-related restrictions, but also because officials’ power to impose blanket limits on the behavior of individuals and businesses has a defined end: when people have the ability to protect themselves. Nationally, thousands of new coronavirus infections are still occurring every day, but efforts to combat the pandemic from this point on will have to operate within stricter legal constraints than they did in the early weeks of the pandemic. (Jay Varma, 6/13)

ABC News: No One-Size-Fits-All Solution When It Comes To COVID And Kids.
The latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 guidance that fully vaccinated individuals can go without masks and no longer have to maintain social distance is based on the latest scientific evidence, and shows the power of vaccination. Those vaccinated are nearly resilient to severe illness, hospitalization and death. Plus, they have a very low likelihood of spreading the virus. (Dr. Syra Madad, 6/13)

Bloomberg: If Covid Escaped From A Lab, We Must Prepare For Terrible Fury 
Ever since President Joe Biden ordered U.S. intelligence agencies to investigate reports that the Covid-19 virus might have escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan, commentators have argued over what difference it makes if the theory turns out to be right. Here’s why the answer matters:  The discovery that the virus had a human origin would give the coronavirus saga what it’s lacked — a villain. And that’s a problem. If a virus that has killed nearly 600,000 people in the U.S. and close to 4 million around the world turns out to have escaped from a laboratory in China, the formless fear that has immobilized most of the world for the last year and a half, at last given a target, might coalesce into fury. And fury, when widely shared, is hard to control. (Brooke Sample, 6/12)

Los Angeles Times: For Youth Mental Health, Pandemic Is Far From Over 
On a busy night shift in the psychiatric emergency room, during a monthlong psychiatry rotation for medical school, I first met my patient, a teenager. She was hunched over a stretcher at the far end of the hallway. Before the pandemic, she spent lots of time with her friends and loved going to school. Then COVID-19 lockdowns turned school virtual, and she was staring at herself for hours on end on Zoom. She told me that she became displeased with her appearance on the screen, comparing herself to her peers at every possible instance. (Lala Tanmoy Das, 6/13)

The New York Times: Collins And Menendez: We Need A Covid-19 Commission 
The devastating events of Sept. 11, 2001, shook the United States to its core and sparked immediate and consequential actions to protect American lives. Congress formed the independent 9/11 Commission to investigate the security missteps that contributed to the attack and to issue prescriptions for what we as a country could do better to prevent future acts of foreign terrorism on American soil. The commission released a series of recommendations, many of which were adopted quickly, to tighten security and improve interdepartmental information sharing and coordination. The death toll from the Covid-19 pandemic is more than 200 times that of the 9/11 attacks — but Congress has yet to establish a similar blue ribbon commission to investigate the vulnerabilities of our public health system and issue guidance for how we as a nation can better protect the American people from future pandemics. (Sens. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, 6/14)

USA Today: Intermittent Fasting: How It Helped Me Lose Weight, Improved My Health
On Jan. 16 of this year, I went out to dinner with some friends. And, that night, I found rock bottom under a pile of shrimp and grits, and an enormous slab of carrot cake. Before dinner, my suit barely fit. After, those buttons deserved a medal. I felt awful — physically, and emotionally. My health was off the rails and I knew it. And I resolved to make a change. Oh, I had tried to lose weight before. I was a fat kid and a fatter adult, hovering in the 250–275-pound range for years. Once, I drove my weight down to 220 pounds and told people the secret was “run farther, eat less.” (Scott Jennings, 6/13)

The Baltimore Sun: Congress Must Remove Impediments To Living Organ Donation 
Chronic kidney disease is an often-overlooked public health crisis that affects an estimated 37 million Americans, 15% of the adult population, and is one of the top 10 leading causes of death. It’s most often caused by long-term diabetes and high blood pressure, but another significant cause is that of a genetic disease: Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), which affects an estimated 600,000 Americans — including me. (Greg Mainolfi, 6/14)

Stat: Are Five Decades Of Progress In Women's Health In Peril? 
Reviewing 50 years of progress on medical issues relevant to women can be a daunting and sometimes exacting task. But as we learned while writing about milestones in women’s health, it can also be a personal journey, having both come of age around the same year our review began. (Cynthia A. Stuenkel and JoAnn E. Manson, 6/14)

Modern Healthcare: Community Partnerships Power Meaningful Change, Greater Health Equity
If you see basic human needs being met in your community, you'll likely find a partnership is driving the response. Often a local hospital is involved. Our experience on the front lines of healthcare shows that to improve the health of our communities, collaboration between hospitals and health systems and community-based organizations is pivotal. (Dr. Rod Hochman, 6/11)

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Philly Had A Year Of Existential Crisis, But I’ve Never Been More Hopeful For Our Public Health 
One image that most resonated with me throughout this pandemic: Sisyphus pushing a rock up the hill, knowing he might never make it to the top. It echoed how my colleagues and I on the front lines and beyond in the public health workforce felt. We would let ourselves take a breath and hope the worst was behind us, yet still brace for what we knew would come, carrying the weight on our shoulders. This is how many of us have felt this year — maybe all of us. For me as an emergency physician and public health advocate, at times it felt like an unrelenting assault on every front with no escape or seeming end. And we just kept pushing — with work, kids, and isolation; with worry, sadness, and exhaustion. (Priya Mammen, 6/11)

The Washington Post: The FDA-Approved Alzheimer’s Drug Debate Showcases Our System’s Skewed Priorities 
The Food and Drug Administration’s first approval of a drug to treat Alzheimer’s since 2003 should be a cause for celebration. Alzheimer’s is a scourge of aging societies that already affects more than 6 million Americans. The disease strips patients of their memory and ability to manage even basic tasks of independent living, while burdening caretakers emotionally, financially and physically. Progress against this horror ought to be cheered. But more than any potential gains against Alzheimer’s, this FDA approval — and the controversy it has sparked — underscores shortcomings in the U.S. health-care system, which too often prioritizes corporate financial interests over the needs of patients and taxpayers. (Helaine Olen, 6/11)

The Atlantic: The Drug That Could Break American Health Care 
Earlier this week, the Food and Drug Administration overruled—to much criticism—its own scientific advisory committee and approved the Alzheimer’s treatment Aduhelm. The agency made this decision despite thin evidence of the drug’s clinical efficacy and despite its serious side effects, including brain swelling and bleeding. As a result, a serious risk now exists that millions of people will be prescribed a drug that does more harm than good. (Nicholas Bagley and Rachel Sachs, 6/11)