The Wall Street Journal: More Younger People Are Getting Colorectal Cancers, And Doctors Don’t Know Why
A larger share of people are being diagnosed with colorectal cancer at a younger age and at a more dangerous stage of the disease, a report showed. Doctors aren’t sure why. The American Cancer Society said Wednesday that about 20% of new colorectal cancer diagnoses were in patients under 55 in 2019, compared with 11% in 1995. Some 60% of new colorectal cancers in 2019 were diagnosed at advanced stages, the research and advocacy group said, compared with 52% in the mid-2000s and 57% in 1995, before screening was widespread. (Abbott, 3/1)  

CBS News: Colon Cancer Rates Keep Rising In Younger Age Group, New Study Finds
Sixty percent of new cases are advanced-stage disease. "Shockingly, 1 in 5 people who will be diagnosed presently are younger than 55 years of age, which is quite young for colorectal cancer," says American Cancer Society CEO Dr. Karen Knudsen. (3/1)

The Washington Post: More Colon Cancer Cases Found In Younger People, New Report Shows
There is also an unexplained shift in the incidence of “left-sided” tumors, suggesting that the biology of the disease could be changing, prompting a need for a new approach in prevention and more research into targeted treatments. (Amenabar, 3/1)

CNN: Colorectal Cancer Rising Among Adults Younger Than 55, Report Shows
The new report also says that more people are surviving colorectal cancer, with the relative survival rate at least five years after diagnosis rising from 50% in the mid-1970s to 65% from 2012 through 2018, partly due to advancements in treatment. That’s good news, said Dr. Paul Oberstein, a medical oncologist at NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center, who was not involved in the new report. The overall trends suggest that colorectal cancer incidence and death rates have been slowly declining. (Howard, 3/1)

In other cancer news —

FiercePharma: Overburdened Oncologists Spur Need For Short, Impactful Messages
Pharma is becoming a victim of its own success in oncology. Striving to keep pace with the progress of the industry’s well-stocked pipeline, oncologists are facing information overload on top of the continued fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pressures are creating a need for new marketing strategies. ... Oncologists are pulling double and triple shifts to cope with staff shortages that have intensified since the start of the pandemic. And with 22% of oncologists nearing retirement, the situation could get worse before it gets better. (Taylor, 3/1)    

Reuters: California Fertility Clinic Sued For Using Embryo With Deadly Cancer Gene 
A California couple sued a Pasadena-based fertility clinic on Wednesday, saying it allegedly implanted an embryo carrying a rare gene that causes deadly stomach cancer and then falsified records to cover up its mistake. In their lawsuit against HRC Fertility, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Jason and Melissa Diaz said their son, now a year old, will require total stomach removal surgery as a young adult to prevent or treat the cancer. They said they went to HRC Fertility specifically to avoid having a child with the gene, which Jason carries. (Pierson, 3/1)

Houston Chronicle: Rep. Joaquin Castro's Health Plan Points To A New Texas Trend
News this week that U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro is undergoing cancer treatment drew renewed attention to congressional health insurance plans — gold-level Affordable Care Act coverage similar to that gaining popularity in Texas. (Wermund, 3/2)

Reuters: Cardinal Health, McKesson Prevail In Georgia Families' Opioid Trial
Drug distributors Cardinal Health Inc, McKesson Corp and JM Smith Corp on Wednesday prevailed at trial in Georgia in a case brought by families of opioid addicts accusing the companies of acting as drug dealers. A jury in Glynn County Superior Court handed down the verdict after two days of deliberations, according to Courtroom View Network, which carried live video of the trial. It was the first trial of opioid claims brought by individual plaintiffs, rather than government entities. (Pierson, 3/1)

The New York Times: Opioid Distributors Cleared Of Liability To Georgia Families Ravaged By Addiction 
Over the past month in a southeast Georgia courtroom, three generations of families testified about how their lives had been savaged by addiction to prescription opioids: A young man recounted huddling in a locked room with his brothers, while his father, waving a shotgun, ransacked the house for pills. A mother described holding her granddaughter, while her dopesick daughter rammed a car into the house. A young woman told of her rape at age 14 by a drug dealer, while her mother nodded out. They ticked off overdose deaths: grandparents, parents, siblings, spouses. And a baby, whose mother injected Dilaudid throughout her pregnancy and who shook uncontrollably throughout his monthlong life. (Hoffman, 3/1)

In other news about the opioid crisis —

Stat: Advocates, Lawmakers: Biden Telehealth Rule Will Worsen Drug Crisis
Doctors, public health experts, and even Democratic members of Congress are sounding the alarm on a new Biden administration proposal to restrict access to a key addiction-treatment medication. The proposal would curtail access via telehealth to buprenorphine, a common and highly effective drug used to treat opioid use disorder. (Facher, 3/2)

CBS News: Opioid Crisis Settlements Have Totaled Over $50 Billion. But How Is That Money Being Used? 
A series of settlements from lawsuits related to the opioid crisis have flooded billions into the United States. This influx of money, advocates say, presents a unique opportunity for the U.S. to fund treatment solutions for substance use disorder and the overdose epidemic. The settlement money comes from a number of legal battles around the nation and the world. Companies including Purdue Pharma, Johnson & Johnson and Walgreens have settled, to the tune of billions of dollars, for their role in fueling the opioid crisis through actions like downplaying the risks of prescription opioids and promoting the use of the drugs. (Bree, 3/1)

In news about opioid alternatives —

Houston Chronicle: Texas Physicians Explore Alternatives To Opioids
The opioid crisis continues to blur the lines between helpful and harmful for the people who suffer chronic pain and the physicians who try to help them. "Unfortunately, the medical community is still not clear on why some patients have chronic pain and some don't," said San Antonio anesthesiologist Dr. Cannon Clifton. (Kyle Morgan, 3/1)

Fierce Biotech: Confo Hands Baton To Lilly For Non-Opioid Pain Med In $40M Deal
Eli Lilly will take the baton on developing a peripheral pain candidate from Confo Therapeutics, handing off $40 million upfront and a potential $590 million total down the track if all goes well. Confo has been developing CFTX-1554 in phase 1 as a non-opioid option for neuropathic pain. The condition is caused by damage to the nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord. The therapy could also eventually be developed in other pain indications. (Armstrong, 3/2)

Stat: Report Finds Medicare Part D Plans Improperly Authorized Opioids
A government watchdog found that Medicare drug plans improperly authorized thousands of prescriptions for certain powerful opioids over a recent four-year period, a failure that cost taxpayers $86 million as the opioid crisis was raging across the U.S. (Silverman, 3/2)

In other news about Medicare and Social Security —

The New York Times: Brokers Get Lush Trips and Cash Perks to Sell Costly Medigap Plans
Federal and state regulators are being urged to increase their oversight of insurance agents and brokers selling Medigap policies, the private supplemental coverage owned by millions of people with traditional Medicare that pays out-of-pocket costs. These brokers received paid vacations and cash bonuses to enroll customers in plans offered by specific companies, according to a report released Wednesday by Senator Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts Democrat. (Abelson, 3/1)

Axios: Medicare Advantage Yielded Strongest Margins For Insurers, Study Finds
Health insurers' margins in Medicare Advantage were more than double those seen in other markets in 2021, reinforcing the way the program can produce strong financial returns for plans, a new Kaiser Family Foundation analysis shows. (Dreher and Reed, 3/1)

The Hill: Senate Group Wades Into Tough Talks On Social Security 
A bipartisan group of senators is treading carefully into the politically difficult discussion of making changes to Social Security to extend its solvency.  Senators from both parties who have been involved in the talks are tight-lipped when it comes to revealing details, though reports have begun to surface of discussions of potential changes to the age threshold for retirement and raising the taxable wage cap. (Folley, 3/1)

In Medicaid developments —

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Missouri Should Refund $34 Million In Medicaid Payments, Federal Agency Says
A federal agency is pushing Missouri to refund more than $34 million in Medicaid payments, after an audit raised issue with some of the state’s policies for programs that help patients with day-to-day tasks. In the audit, the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General looked at claims filed for personal care assistance, which offers help with daily tasks like meal preparation, shopping, grooming and bathing. The audit found that in some cases, time sheets couldn’t be provided or lacked detail. In other cases, documentation was missing for the attendants who provided the care. (Merrilees, 3/1)

KHN: After People On Medicaid Die, Some States Aggressively Seek Repayment From Their Estates 
Fran Ruhl’s family received a startling letter from the Iowa Department of Human Services four weeks after she died in January 2022. “Dear FAMILY OF FRANCES RUHL,” the letter began. “We have been informed of the death of the above person, and we wish to express our sincere condolences.” The letter got right to the point: Iowa’s Medicaid program had spent $226,611.35 for Ruhl’s health care, and the government was entitled to recoup that money from her estate, including nearly any assets she owned or had a share in. If a spouse or disabled child survived Ruhl, the collection could be delayed until after their death, but the money would still be owed. (Leys, 3/2)

KHN: California’s Massive Medicaid Program Works For Some, But Fails Many Others
Newborns. Former inmates. College students. Expectant moms. People with disabilities. Foster kids. Homeless people. Single dads. Your neighbor. Your co-worker. You. California’s Medicaid program, called Medi-Cal, serves a whopping 15.4 million people, offering care from cradle to grave: Half of all births are covered by Medi-Cal, as are more than half of all stays in nursing homes. Everything about Medi-Cal is massive, from its upcoming fiscal year budget of $139 billion to the expansive list of benefits and services it offers. The way the program works — or doesn’t — could spell life or death for many enrollees. (Hart and Wolfson, 3/2)

Reuters: US Panel Backs GSK Vaccine, Heating Up RSV Vaccine Race
A panel of outside advisers to the U.S. health regulator on Wednesday backed GSK's respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, setting it up for a race with rival Pfizer to become the first approved U.S. shot against the disease. The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) advisory committee voted unanimously in favor of the vaccine's effectiveness in preventing lower respiratory tract disease caused by RSV in adults aged 60 and above, and voted 10 to 2 for its safety. The panelists seemed significantly more confident about the demographic profile used during the GSK study in comparison to Pfizer's RSV vaccine, which was recommended by the FDA panel on Tuesday. (Mandowara and Esunny, 3/1)

CIDRAP: FDA Panel Recommends GSK's RSV Vaccine For Ages 60 And Up 
GSK's vaccine, called RSVPreF3 (Arexvy), is a recombinant product that contains a glycoprotein antigen based on the RSV A subgroup and is given with a proprietary adjuvant—the same one in GSK's Shingrix shingles (herpes zoster) vaccine—designed to boost the immune response. It is administered as a single 0.5-milliliter dose. The group based its efficacy assessment on clinical trials that enrolled nearly 25,000 people, half of whom, as the control group, received a saline injection. Overall efficacy was 82.6% against lower respiratory tract illness, with an efficacy of 94.1% against severe disease. Efficacy was high for both RSV A and RSV B and was even higher, at 93.8%, in the oldest age-group in the study, those ages 70 to 79. (Schnirring, 3/1)

The New York Times: FDA Panel Recommends 2 RSV Vaccines For Older Adults
In addition to the vaccine candidates reviewed by the panel this week, AstraZeneca and Sanofi are seeking F.D.A. approval of a monoclonal antibody treatment aimed at protecting infants and toddlers up to 2 years old from R.S.V. infections. The companies reported findings from a major study indicating that the therapy reduced “medically attended” illnesses by 75 percent after one infusion, according to AstraZeneca. (Jewett, 3/1)

And a shortage of albuterol, used to treat RSV, may soon get worse —

The Washington Post: Albuterol For Children's Hospitals Scarce After Illinois Plant Shutdown
Children’s hospitals across the country lost a supplier of a common respiratory medicine with the sudden shutdown of an Illinois manufacturing plant last week, which specialists warned will prolong shortages of an important treatment for kids with RSV and asthma who show up in emergency rooms. Akorn, a company that has struggled under bankruptcy for two years and had been the subject of Food and Drug Administration enforcement actions, shut down its U.S. operations on Thursday, including manufacturing facilities in Illinois, New Jersey and New York. (Rowland, 3/1)

Reuters: Biden Says Other Companies Will Slash Insulin Prices After Eli Lilly Move 
U.S. President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that other pharmaceutical companies will have to lower their insulin prices in the wake of Eli Lilly's decision to slash its prices for the popular diabetes treatment. Eli Lilly said on Wednesday it will cut list prices by 70% for its most commonly prescribed insulin products, Humalog and Humulin, beginning from the fourth quarter of this year. "Guess what that means?," Biden told Democrats gathered in Baltimore for an annual retreat. "Every other company making it, someone's gonna have to lower their price." (Hunnicutt, 3/1)

The Washington Post: As Eli Lilly Slashes The Price Of Insulin, Here’s What To Know
The company’s announcement Wednesday comes as the Biden administration has pressed the industry to rein in prices, which have skyrocketed in recent years and weighed on lower- and middle-income people with diabetes. Congress authorized a $35-per-month cap for some seniors with Medicare coverage, but that does not help those with private insurance struggling to afford the lifesaving medication. Here are some key questions about the decision and what it means for consumers. (Mark, 3/1)

Stat: Eli Lilly Cuts Prices For Some Insulin Products, But Some Are Wary
Stacie Dusetzina, a professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, who researches pharmaceutical costs, worried that Lilly might be taking advantage of the huge spread between list prices and the prices insurers pay after Lilly pays them rebates. “This will be helpful to some consumers,” Dusetzina said. “It’s not clear to me how much of this is real cutting of the amount that Lilly makes on their insulins versus lowering the list price.” (Herper and Silverman, 3/1)

In other pharmaceutical and research news —

NBC News: Ozempic Shortages? Some Pharmacists Not Stocking Weight-Loss Drug
While many pharmacists across the U.S. have struggled to get their hands on Ozempic, some haven’t bothered. Nate Hux, the owner of Pickerington Pharmacy in Ohio, stopped stocking the diabetes drug — which has soared in popularity, particularly for its off-label use as a weight loss aid — last summer. (Lovelace Jr. and Abou-Sabe, 3/2)

The Washington Post: How A Cambodian Monkey-Smuggling Ring Could Worsen U.S. Lab Shortages 
An ongoing shortage of monkeys used in scientific and medical experiments is about to get worse, as fallout continues from a federal investigation into an alleged primate-smuggling ring in Cambodia. Several major companies are warning of supply constraints, delays and higher prices that they say could eventually lead to bottlenecks in drug testing. However, industry analysts have expressed skepticism that the situation in Cambodia will have major impacts on research, with one saying “this is just going to be another handful of sand in the gears.” (Johnson and Gilbert, 3/1)

Bloomberg: Asia’s Richest Man Mukesh Ambani To Foray Into DNA Testing With $145 Kit 
The energy-to-ecommerce conglomerate will roll out within weeks a comprehensive 12,000-rupee ($145) genome sequencing test, according to Ramesh Hariharan, chief executive officer of Strand Life Sciences Pvt., which has developed the product. Reliance Industries Ltd., led by Asia’s richest person, acquired the Bengaluru-based firm in 2021 and now owns about 80% of it. (Rai and Sanjai, 3/2)

The Washington Post: ‘Havana Syndrome’ Not Caused By Energy Weapon Or Foreign Adversary, Intelligence Review Finds 
The mysterious ailment known as “Havana syndrome” did not result from the actions of a foreign adversary, according to an intelligence report that shatters a long-disputed theory that hundreds of U.S. personnel were targeted and sickened by a clandestine enemy wielding energy waves as a weapon. The new intelligence assessment caps a years-long effort by the CIA and several other U.S. intelligence agencies to explain why career diplomats, intelligence officers and others serving in U.S. missions around the world experienced what they described as strange and painful acoustic sensations. The effects of this mysterious trauma shortened careers, racked up large medical bills and in some cases caused severe physical and emotional suffering. (Harris and Hudson, 3/1)

NPR: U.S. Intelligence: Foreign Rivals Didn't Cause Havana Syndrome
Seven different U.S. intelligence agencies were involved in the investigation, and five found it was "highly unlikely" a foreign country was to blame. One said it was "unlikely," and one didn't take a position. The officials also said there was "no credible evidence" that a foreign adversary has a weapon capable of inflicting the kind of harm suffered by the U.S. officials. (Myre, 3/1)

Politico: Intel Community Bats Down Main Theory Behind ‘Havana Syndrome’ Incidents 
The finding undercuts a years-long narrative, propped up by more than a thousand reports from government employees, that a foreign adversary used pulsed electro-magnetic energy waves to sicken Americans. “We cannot tie a foreign adversary to any incident,” said one of the U.S. intelligence officials, who, like the other, was granted anonymity to speak more freely about the assessment. (Seligman and Banco, 3/1)

Reuters: US Authorities Charge Healthcare Company Ontrak's Boss With Insider Trading 
U.S. authorities on Wednesday charged the head of the health care company Ontrak Inc with insider trading, marking the first criminal case involving the use of a special trading plan designed to help shield executives from such charges. Ontrak Chairman and CEO Terren Peizer sold more than $20 million of Ontrak stock between May and August 2021 while in possession of material non-public negative information related to the company's largest customer, authorities said. (Gillison and Singh, 3/1)

The Wall Street Journal: Healthcare CEO Faces Charges Of Making Illicit Stock Sales In Prearranged Trades 
Ontrak Chief Executive Terren Peizer set up the prearranged trading plans in May and August 2021, just before his company disclosed the loss of health insurer Cigna Corp. as a major customer, according to a federal grand-jury indictment unsealed Wednesday. Mr. Peizer sold about 641,000 shares of Ontrak stock when he was aware of the undisclosed bad news, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission, which also sued him. When Ontrak revealed on Aug. 19, 2021—three days after he began trading—that Cigna cut ties with Ontrak, the stock dropped 45%. (Michaels, 3/1)

In other corporate news —

Modern Healthcare: Cleveland Clinic Reports $1.25B Net Loss For 2022 
The Ohio-based organization reported a $1.25 billion net loss in 2022, compared with a $2.21 billion gain in 2021, according to unaudited results released Wednesday. Operating expenses jumped 13.6%, or by nearly $1.5 billion, to $12.45 billion, including a 13.8% rise in salaries and wages and a 13.7% jump for pharmaceuticals. (Hudson, 3/1)

Modern Healthcare: AdventHealth Reports $839M Net Loss For 2022
A spike in operation expenses fueled by labor costs weighed down AdventHealth's financial performance last year, the nonprofit health system reported Tuesday. AdventHealth suffered a $837.92 million net loss for 2022, compared with a $1.51 billion gain the prior year. Revenue rose 5.5% to $15.7 billion and investment losses reached $1.16 billion. (Hudson, 3/1)

Becker's Hospital Review: Texas Hospital Set To Close, Asks University Health To Take Over
San Antonio-based Texas Vista Medical Center, part of Dallas-based Steward Health Care, is set to close May 1, barring a takeover or significant relief package. Steward has asked San Antonio-based University Health System and Bexar County to take over the troubled hospital. However, both entities have so far declined. Texas Vista was already struggling financially when Steward acquired it in 2017, and the COVID-19 pandemic led to even more significant losses, according to a March 1 Steward Health news release. (Schwartz, 3/1)

Modern Healthcare: Community Health Systems Selling 2 Hospitals To Novant
Novant Health will pay $320 million for two Community Health Systems hospitals in North Carolina, marking CHS’ exit from the Tar Heel State. (Kacik, 3/1)

Modern Healthcare: MercyOne-Genesis Health System Merger Closed
Trinity Health’s MercyOne and Genesis Health System have finalized their merger, the nonprofit health systems announced Wednesday. Under the agreement, Davenport, Iowa-based Genesis’ five hospitals and other operations will become part of MercyOne, a West Des Moines, Iowa-based health system that comprises 18 hospitals. (Kacik, 3/1)

In nursing news —

Los Angeles Times: UC System Hospital Nurses Complain Of Overcrowding
Nurses at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus went public this week with complaints about overcrowding and staffing issues that they say have led to eroding conditions for patients. At the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, patients sometimes lie in hallways on gurneys for days at a time, said Dianne Sposito, an emergency room nurse at the hospital. (Evans, 3/1)

AP: States Move To Crack Down On Nurses With Bogus Diplomas 
Medical licensing officials in multiple states are scrambling to stop nurses with fraudulent academic credentials from caring for patients, after three Florida schools were accused of selling thousands of bogus diplomas. New York regulators told 903 nurses in recent weeks to either surrender their licenses or prove they were properly educated. Delaware and Washington state officials have yanked dozens of nursing licenses. Texas filed administrative charges against 23 nurses. More actions in additional states are expected. (Hill, 3/1)

More health care industry news —

Becker's Hospital Review: The Hospital CEOs Throwing Their Weight Behind Gun Safety Efforts
In the wake of shootings across the U.S., about 50 leaders of some of the nation's largest health systems and hospitals are pledging efforts to address gun violence. The leaders are members of the newly formed National Health Care CEO Council on Gun Violence Prevention & Safety, which is united to tackle the issue. Council members have signed the following promise: "Guns are now the leading cause of death for kids. This needs to change. As healthcare leaders, we pledge to use the collective power of our voices and resources to curb this epidemic, and make our communities safer for everyone." (Gooch, 3/1)

Stateline: Small Texas Hospital Tries New Model Aimed At Saving Rural Health Care
After sitting empty and exposed to thieves and vandals for more than two years, the one-story hospital that served Bowie for more than five decades is close to making a comeback — of sorts. Reflecting the struggles facing hospitals throughout rural America, Bowie Memorial Hospital has closed twice since 2015, the first time when citizens refused a tax-supported bailout, and again in 2020, after a failed reopening. (Montgomery, 3/2)

Stat: Same Patient, Same Drug, Same Insurer — Coverage Denied
Janice Morales-Ferrer is a planner. It’s helped her get ahead in her career and in raising three young kids. But it’s hard to plan when you’ve got a rare disease, especially one with no standard treatment regimen or predictable outcome. (Bannow, 3/2)

Des Moines Register: Suit Claims Providers Failed To Treat Iowa Man For Deadly Infection
When Burlington resident Thomas Hull went to the hospital in August 2021, tests showed he had a serious bacterial infection in his bloodstream. But it wasn't until returned to the West Burlington hospital a month later that he received antibiotics to address that infection. By then, it was too late, according to a lawsuit filed in Des Moines County District Court last week. (Ramm, 3/1)

KHN: Information Blackout Shrouds New Reports Of Deaths, Injuries, And Abuse At Montana State Hospital
Jennifer Mitchell remembered getting a call nearly two years ago that her 69-year-old husband, Bill, had crashed his car and had been committed to the Montana State Hospital, the state-run psychiatric hospital for adults about 20 miles from their home in Butte. Physicians thought Bill Mitchell had dementia and could be a danger to himself or others, according to medical records. But once he was admitted, his wife really began to worry. She couldn’t visit him because of covid-19 restrictions, and she couldn’t get details about the care or the medicine he was receiving. “I tried to get an idea of what he was taking, not taking. I could not get answers,” Jennifer said. (Bolton, 3/2)

KHN: Watch: Dental Device At Center Of Lawsuits Was Used On Patients Without FDA Review
An unproven and unregulated dental device at the center of patient lawsuits has not been evaluated by the FDA, according to a months-long joint investigation by KHN and CBS News. More than 10,000 dental patients have been fitted with an Anterior Growth Guidance Appliance, or AGGA, according to court records. (3/2)

USA Today: 'You Cannot Hide': Biden Administration To Go After Scammers Who Stole Billions In COVID Relief
The Biden administration announced a series of measures Thursday to track down and punish fraudsters who scammed billions of taxpayer dollars that were supposed to provide relief to Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden is pledging $1.6 billion to bolster law enforcement manpower and new programs that will be used to prosecute scammers, prevent fraud, and provide assistance to victims of identity theft. (Collins, 3/2)

Reuters: Pfizer/BioNTech Seeks U.S. Nod For Updated COVID Vaccine As Booster In Kids Under 5 
Pfizer Inc and its German partner BioNTech SE have applied for emergency use authorization of their Omicron-adapted COVID-19 vaccine in the United States as a booster dose for children aged six months through four years, the companies said on Wednesday. The Omicron-adapted vaccine is currently authorized by the U.S. health regulator as the third dose of the three-dose primary course of vaccination in the country for children in this age group. (3/1)

On the origins debate —

AP: China Dismisses FBI Statement On COVID-19 Lab Leak Theory 
For the second day in a row, China on Wednesday dismissed U.S. suggestions that the COVID-19 pandemic may have been triggered by a virus that leaked from a Chinese laboratory. Responding to comments by FBI Director Christopher Wray, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the involvement of the U.S. intelligence community was evidence enough of the “politicization of origin tracing.” “By rehashing the lab-leak theory, the U.S. will not succeed in discrediting China, and instead, it will only hurt its own credibility,” Mao said. (3/1)

Axios: The Missing Evidence In The COVID Origins Debate
The inability to pin down COVID's origins has opened the door to politically charged speculation and fierce debate, but without concrete evidence, people are forming narratives based on incomplete information with major geopolitical consequences. (Owens and Snyder, 3/2)

And in covid science and research —

CIDRAP: Vaccine May Limit Long-COVID Impact, Studies Show, But Controlled Trials Needed 
Two new observational studies suggest that COVID-19 vaccination lowers long-COVID incidence and severity, although the authors of a related commentary say trials comparing vaccination with a placebo are needed. The research was published yesterday in BMJ Medicine. (Van Beusekom, 3/1)

The New York Times: Premature Births Fell During Some Covid Lockdowns, Study Finds
Nearly 50,000 preterm births may have been averted across a group of mostly high-income countries in one month alone. (Preston, 3/2)

The Boston Globe: How A Flawed Study Reignited The Mask Debate
You may have thought the question of masking was settled, or at least that we had all agreed to disagree, but no such luck. The debate over whether masks limit COVID-19 transmission recently reignited after a new review of the research came out, drawing out skeptics and defenders, and — as so often happens — leaving the ordinary citizen befuddled. Here’s a rundown of the latest debate, and what you can take away from it. (Freyer, 3/2)

Iowa Public Radio: White-Tailed Deer Coronavirus Infections Could Prolong The Human Pandemic
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists worried cows and pigs might be potential victims or carriers of the coronavirus. Research by the U.S. Department of Agriculture quickly found the virus didn’t threaten that livestock. But when scientists began looking at one of the most common large wild species in the Midwest — white-tailed deer — they found the animals could catch and spread the virus. (Katie Peikes, 3/1)

More on the coronavirus —

The Guardian: UK Cat Cull Was Considered Early In Covid Crisis, Ex-Minister Says
The UK government considered whether it might have to ask people to exterminate all pet cats during the early days of the Covid pandemic, a former health minister said. It was unclear whether domestic cats could transmit coronavirus, James Bethell said. (Ambrose, 3/1)

CIDRAP: Global COVID-19 Cases, Deaths Continue To Drop 
In its weekly update on COVID-19 today, the World Health Organization (WHO) said cases dropped 76% over the last 28 days, compared to the previous 28 days, with deaths down 66% over the same period. The WHO included caveats that the numbers are underestimates due to reduced testing and delays in reporting. Cases declined in all world regions, and deaths fell in all regions except the Eastern Mediterranean. (Schnirring, 3/1)

AP: EMS Workers Punished For Media Interviews In NYC Settle Suit 
Four New York City ambulance workers who said they were disciplined for speaking to the media during the harrowing, early months of the COVID-19 pandemic have reached a settlement in their free speech lawsuit against the fire department and the city, their union announced Wednesday. The four emergency medical workers — including paramedic Elizabeth Bonilla, who allowed the Associated Press follow her through the first half of a 16-hour double shift in April 2020 — will each receive $29,999, a spokesperson for FDNY EMS Local 2507 said. Additionally, the city will expunge from their records any claim that they violated department rules by communicating with the news media. (3/1)

In related news about bird flu —

AP: Cambodia Says Recent Bird Flu Cases Not Spread By Humans 
Recent cases of bird flu discovered in two Cambodian villagers, one of them fatal, show no sign of human-to-human transmission, health officials in the Southeast Asian nation say, allaying fears of a public health crisis. (Cheang, 3/1)

Axios: CDC: Black Americans Most Likely To Go To ER For Mental Health Care
Black Americans are nearly twice as likely as white Americans to go to hospital emergency departments for mental health care, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a new report based largely on pre-pandemic data. Demand for behavioral health services is swamping the health care system, but those turning to an ER indicate which groups might be facing extra barriers to care. (Moreno, 3/1)

On the health effects of TikTok —

Politico: GOP Rams Through TikTok Ban Bill Over Dem Objections
Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee forced through a bill that could effectively ban TikTok from all mobile devices in the U.S. despite united opposition from Democrats — a rare breakdown of congressional bipartisanship on the alleged threat posed by Chinese tech. “Everybody knows what TikTok is,” committee Chair Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said on Tuesday as the panel debated the fate of the popular Chinese-owned video app. “It’s too dangerous to be on our phones as members of Congress. In my judgment, it’s too dangerous to be on our children’s phones. That’s the whole point of this bill.” (Bordelon, 3/1)

On abortion —

Medill News Service: How Policymakers Could Tweak HIPAA To Protect Abortion Records
Patient privacy law offers little protection if law enforcement requests a person’s medical records — an issue that’s fueled concern as states impose restrictions on abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. “I think it’s important to know that right now, your health records aren’t necessarily protected. And that is because HIPAA privacy protections weren’t prepared for this moment,” said Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), referring to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which protects patient medical records. (Kalra, 3/2)

AP: Anti-Abortion Allies Change Tactics After Post-Roe Defeats 
Republicans and their anti-abortion allies, who suffered a series of defeats in ballot questions in states across the political spectrum last year, are changing tactics as new legislative sessions and the new election season start. n states where citizens have direct access to the ballot, Republicans are considering ways to prevent another loss in an abortion-rights referendum. In some states, Republicans are considering exemptions to sweeping bans or looking at ways to prevent abortions besides trying to roll back the number of weeks during which an abortion is allowed. (Levy, 3/1)

In other health and wellness news —

CNBC: Why American Men Die Younger Than Women On Average And How To Fix It
Men die younger than women in the United States, on average. American women had a life expectancy of 79 years in 2021, compared with men’s, which was only about 73, according to CDC data. “As long as records have been kept in all countries, women have lived longer than men,” said Amelia Karraker, a program official at the National Institute on Aging. “Across, basically, almost every major cause of death, men are more likely to die than women are.” (Morabito, 3/1)

Good Morning America: ER Doctor Warns About 'Dangerous' Grill Brushes And Injuries In Viral Video
An emergency room doctor is opening up about "one of the most interesting cases" she's seen in her career so far and, in the process, warning people about wire grill brush injuries. Dr. Meghan Martin, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, opened up about the case in a Feb. 18 TikTok post and since then, it's gone viral, garnering over 34 million views in less than two weeks. (Yu, 3/2)

CBS News: What's A Borg? The Latest College Drinking Trend, Explained
TikTok has given us a peek into the latest college drinking trend: the borg. The name is short for "blackout rage gallon" and consists of students taking a gallon jug of water, emptying it a bit to fit in their desired amount of alcohol and adding in some sort of flavoring like water-enhancing drops or powdered drink mixes. The hashtag #borg has garnered more than 74.7 million views on TikTok. (Moniuszko, 2/28)

Politico: Cindy McCain Tapped As Head Of World Food Program 
Cindy McCain is set to take over as head of the United Nations’ World Food Program, putting the longtime political spouse at the top of the globe’s largest humanitarian group and on the frontlines of a growing global food crisis. The United Nations will announce McCain’s appointment Thursday, according to two people familiar with the matter. The move caps a sharp rise in the global food policy realm for McCain, a close political ally of President Joe Biden and the wife of the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz). (Hill, 3/1)

Bloomberg: Hackers Leak LA Kids’ Mental Health Records, Taunt Victims
Families of students in Los Angeles are learning this week that their kids’ medical records are appearing on the dark web thanks to a notorious ransomware crew that’s extorting academic institutions. Kids’ medical and mental health records, in addition to 2,000 student assessments, driver’s license numbers and Social Security numbers, were published after a breach last year at the Los Angeles Unified School District, said Jack Kelanic, senior IT infrastructure administrator. The district is the second-largest in the nation, with more than 600,000 pupils in 1,000 schools. (Murphy, 3/1)

More health news from California —

AP: California Bill Could Mean More Mentally Ill People Detained
More people in California could be detained against their will because of a mental illness under a new bill backed Wednesday by the mayors of some of the nation’s largest cities, who say they are struggling to care for the bulk of the country’s homeless population. Federal data shows nearly one-third of the country’s homeless population lives in California, crowding the densely populated coastal cities of the nation’s most populous state. California lawmakers have given local governments billions of dollars in recent years to address this, but often with mixed results that recently prompted a public scolding from Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. (Beam, 3/2)

Los Angeles Times: LAPD Officers Could Stop Responding To Some Nonviolent Calls
As part of its upcoming contract talks, the Los Angeles Police Protective League intends to tell city negotiators that it is willing to let other city departments or nonprofit agencies respond to calls about panhandling, illegal sidewalk vending, urinating in public, mental health episodes in which there is no threat of violence or criminal activity, and dangerous dog complaints in which “no attack is in progress.” (Zahniser, 3/1)

KHN: Judge To Fine California Each Day It Fails To Complete Prisoner Suicide Prevention Measures 
A federal judge said this week that she will begin fining California potentially tens of thousands of dollars daily after more than 200 prison inmates killed themselves during eight years in which state corrections officials failed to complete court-ordered suicide prevention measures. Addressing a chronic tragedy that has plagued the state for decades, Chief U.S. District Judge Kimberly Mueller said she will start the fines April 1 — $1,000 a day for each of 15 unmet safeguards until all the state’s 34 adult prisons are in full compliance. (Thompson, 3/1)

The New York Times: Board Denies Parole For Sirhan Sirhan, The Assassin Of Robert F. Kennedy 
A California panel on Wednesday denied parole for Sirhan B. Sirhan, the man convicted in the 1968 assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, in its first review of the case since Gov. Gavin Newsom decided last year that Mr. Sirhan, 78, should not be released. The parole board’s latest decision, which followed a hearing via videoconference from the state prison in San Diego, where Mr. Sirhan has been held, was the second time in three years that Mr. Sirhan’s release had been considered. He has spent more than a half-century behind bars for shooting Mr. Kennedy, then a candidate for president, inside the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles at the end of a campaign appearance in 1968. At the time, Mr. Sirhan was 24. (Hubler, 3/1)

The Boston Globe: ‘It Is Going To Be Disruptive.’ MassHealth Rolls Set To Shrink By 300,000, Healey Estimates
Approximately a third of the state’s population is about to have to re-enroll in MassHealth, a massive undertaking that state officials project will ultimately remove approximately 300,000 people from state-sponsored health insurance. (Bartlett, 3/1)

On transgender health care —

The Washington Post: New State Bills Restrict Transgender Health Care — For Adults 
Republican state Sen. Jack Johnson stood on the Tennessee Senate floor last month to open the discussion on a bill he is co-sponsoring. The measure would limit gender-affirming care such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries for minors. “Let’s put children first and look out for them first and let them make those decisions as adults,” he said. “I support your right to do so, when you’re an adult, not when you’re a child and you do not have the mental capacity to do so.” But Johnson is also backing another bill, HB1215, that would effectively cut off access to gender-affirming care for low-income people, including adults. (Javaid, 3/1)

AP: Indiana Senate Joins States Trying To Limit Transgender Care 
Indiana Republican state Senators voted Tuesday to advance a ban on all gender-affirming care for those under 18, the latest in this year’s movement by conservative states aiming to limit the rights of transgender youth. The bill passed the Senate 36-12, sending it to the House despite last week’s contentious committee hearing that primarily featured testimony from vocal opponents. Witnesses said the types of care the bill would ban, such as hormone therapy and puberty blockers, is vital and often life-saving for trans kids. (Rodgers, 3/1)

Detroit Free Press: Michigan Senate Passes Bill To Protect LGBTQ From Discrimination
The Michigan Senate took the first major step in expanding the state's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act on Wednesday, passing a provision to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The bill will have to pass through the Michigan House of Representatives before it can be signed into law. (Lobo, 3/1)

AP: Georgia Bill Dies That Sought To Curb Gender Talk In Schools
A Georgia bill aimed at stopping teachers from talking to students about gender identity died an unexpected death Wednesday after conservative groups joined LGBTQ advocates in opposing the measure. Senate Bill 222, after multiple rewrites, called for public and private schools and camps to get parental involvement before talking about issues of gender identity. Sen. Carden Summers, a Cordele Republican sponsoring the measure, had said it was needed to keep teachers from indoctrinating their students about changing gender identity and to keep teachers from hiding a student’s gender identity change from parents. (Amy, 3/1)

Minnesota Public Radio: What Is Gender-Affirming Health Care? 'Trans Refuge' Bill Would Help Kids Get It
Minnesota’s Legislature is considering a bill that would make the state a safe haven for transgender youth seeking health care. That means trans youth traveling from other states would be protected in seeking gender-affirming health care in Minnesota. Parents Hao and Gretchen Nguyen, who have a 6-year-old trans daughter and spoke in support of the bill at a hearing last month, say it’s a big deal for trans youth in Minnesota and across the country. (Ki and Stroozas, 3/2)

In other health news from across the U.S. —

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Atlanta School System Offers Telehealth Services To Students
The nurse’s office isn’t typically a place at school that students rush to visit, but Bolton Academy school nurse Donna Coleman has noticed more kids coming to her door in recent months to seek help for stomach aches and other ailments. She thinks it has something to do with the iPad on her office, where students can also talk to a nurse practitioner on the screen. “They like that it’s interactive,” Coleman said, adding students sometimes enjoy discussing their ailments with someone else. (Stirgus, 3/2)

North Carolina Health News: Nonprofits Tackle Period Poverty In NC
As high school sophomores last school year, Sarah Pazokian and Farah Rosaleen started a nonprofit to take on period poverty by helping fellow students with a basic need. Every day at Cary’s Green Hope High School, they saw what various research has shown about what’s being called “period poverty” — that people who menstruate but don’t have access to period products are more likely to miss work or school. (Fernandez, 3/2)

Politico: DeSantis Is Championing Medical Freedom. GOP State Lawmakers Like What They See
The “medical freedom” movement, mostly known for its opposition to vaccine requirements, was long consigned to the fringes of libertarian and left-wing politics. Then came Ron DeSantis. The Florida governor and likely presidential candidate has secured a place for the movement in the conservative mainstream. And as a sitting governor, he has the opportunity to distinguish himself from other declared and potential candidates by putting his vision into practice. (Messerly, Mahr and Sarkissian, 3/1)

The Hill: Union Rep: Employees Reporting Illness After Working On Cleanup For East Palestine Derailment 
Workers that aided in the cleanup of the train derailment in Ohio have experienced lingering migraines and nausea, according to a union representative for workers that build and maintain railways for Norfolk Southern. Jonathan Long, a union representative for the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, said in a Wednesday letter to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) that around 40 workers were ordered by Norfolk Southern, which owns the train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, last month, to clean up the wreckage. (Neukam, 3/1)

NBC News: Pennsylvania Residents Near Ohio Chemical Spill Say They're Left Out Of Recovery Efforts
Western Pennsylvania residents living near the Ohio border say they have been left out of recovery efforts following the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern train derailment in neighboring East Palestine, Ohio. The crash led to evacuations and fears of air, water and soil contamination, especially after one chemical was deliberately released and burned to prevent an explosion. (Victoria Lozano, 3/1)

Bloomberg: Ohio Derailment: Biden Expands Health Survey Visits To Pennsylvania
The Biden Administration is expanding a program that administers door-to-door health surveys following the explosive train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio into Pennsylvania, a White House official said Wednesday. (Sink, 3/1)

Reuters: Norfolk Southern CEO To Testify On Train Derailment Before US Senate 
Norfolk Southern Chief Executive Alan Shaw has agreed to testify on the Ohio train derailment before the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on March 9, the company said on Wednesday. (Shepardson, 3/1)

In news about PFAS, gas stoves, and asbestos —

Bloomberg: Study Finds Forever Chemicals In Toilet Paper
So-called forever chemicals seem to be turning up everywhere. We wear them, clean our houses with them and, according to a new study, perhaps even wipe ourselves with them. The report, published this week in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, has found evidence of per- or polyfluorinated chemicals — also known as PFAS — in toilet paper. An academic team led by researchers at the University of Florida concluded that the bathroom staple might be a source of PFAS entering wastewater treatment systems. (Wanna, 3/2)

The Wall Street Journal: Federal Commission Seeks Data On Gas Stoves’ Health Impact
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said it would call on companies, scientists and the public to submit research and possible solutions to potential health hazards associated with gas stoves. The request aims to examine the scope and scale of risks associated with using gas ranges, data that can be analyzed and possible solutions, the commission said Wednesday. No regulatory proceeding is being proposed and no ban is under consideration, it said. (Keilman, 3/1)

Salt Lake Tribune: Bill Would Raise Major Barriers To Sue For Asbestos Injuries In Utah
In a Feb. 15 committee hearing, Rep. Brady Brammer, R-Pleasant Grove, said HB328 was a common-sense approach to making sure asbestos lawsuits only truly target the guilty. The bill, Asbestos Litigation Amendments would require medical proof an individual had been sickened by exposure before a lawsuit could officially be filed. (Peterson, 3/1)

ScienceDaily: Researchers Identify Three Intestinal Bacteria Found In Dementia With Lewy Bodies 
Researchers have identified gut bacteria that are associated with dementia with Lewy bodies. Changing the levels of three bacteria, Collinsella, Ruminococcus, and Bifidobacterium, may delay the onset and progression of this neurodegenerative disease. (Nagoya University, 2/28)

Fortune: Does Air Pollution Affect Osteoporosis? Science Finds A Connection
Women over 50 are already at a higher risk of osteoporosis, but a new study from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in New York has determined that elevated levels of air pollutants can contribute to bone damage in postmenopausal women. The study found that the effects of air pollution were most evident in the lumbar spine, “with nitrous oxides twice as damaging to the area than seen with normal aging,” according to a press release about the study. (Payton, 2/27)

New England Journal of Medicine: Hydrochlorothiazide And Prevention Of Kidney-Stone Recurrence
Nephrolithiasis is one of the most common conditions affecting the kidney and is characterized by a high risk of recurrence. Thiazide diuretic agents are widely used for prevention of the recurrence of kidney stones, but data regarding the efficacy of such agents as compared with placebo are limited. Furthermore, dose–response data are also limited. (Dhayat et al, 3/1)

CIDRAP: 84% Of Hospital COVID Patients In Sweden Still Had Symptoms At 2 Years
The vast majority—84.2%—of COVID-19 survivors in a Swedish cohort reported persistent symptoms affecting daily life 2 years after hospital release, according to a follow-up study published late last week in The Lancet Regional Health Europe. (Van Beusekom, 2/27)

Bloomberg: Xylazine-Laced Fentanyl Is Adding To Drug Overdoses. Naloxone Can Help 
Fentanyl has become the No. 1 cause of death for American adults under 50. It’s an indiscriminate killer, claiming the lives of quiet teens and young parents, Wall Street traders and celebrities alike. (3/1)

Newsweek: Congress Can Help Reduce Surprise Medical Bills 
The Biden administration and Congress have made multiple efforts to crack down on "Surprise Medical Bills" to protect patients from exorbitant out-of-network bills during emergency services. These efforts are a positive step, but are incomplete. (Bobby Jindal and Neil Gheewala, 3/2)

Stat: CMS Vastly Overestimates Transparency On Hospital Prices
More than two years after a federal rule required hospitals to post their actual prices, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has finally responded to public pressure about the failure of many hospitals to be transparent about what they charge for their services. Unfortunately, CMS’s new hospital compliance report gaslights American health care consumers by claiming that most hospitals are following the rule. (Cynthia A. Fisher, 3/2)

The Baltimore Sun: It Shouldn’t Require Brain Surgery To See Nurses Are Underpaid 
In case you haven’t heard, there’s a nursing shortage going on. It’s thought that increasing demand for all types of nurses — caused in part, by an aging U.S. population and expanded access to health care as well as retirements, turnover and burnout in the nursing profession — have hit many communities quite hard. (Peter Jensen, 2/28)

The New York Times: Why Are Ketamine Ads Following Me Around The Internet?
A few months ago I started noticing that I couldn’t open Instagram or TikTok without getting an ad for ketamine. I previously knew ketamine only as an illegal drug that could cause dissociation, taken by acquaintances in the dank basements of my misspent youth, or as the sedative given to my older daughter when her broken arm needed to be reset in the hospital. (Jessica Grose, 3/1)

Los Angeles Times: COVID Lab Leak? Mask Mandates? Why Are We Still Having These Fights? 
On Monday, the White House announced there is no consensus in the Biden administration about whether COVID-19 sprang from a leak in a virus laboratory in China or was the result of a leap from another species to humans. (Robin Abcarian, 3/1)