NBC News: NYC, States Move Ahead With Boosters For All As FDA Deliberates
All adults in New York City joined a growing group of people in the U.S. who can get Covid-19 booster shots Monday, even though federal health agencies haven’t signed off on the move. Mayor Bill de Blasio and Dr. Dave Chokshi, the health commissioner, made the announcement, which skirts both authorization from the Food and Drug Administration and a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Sullivan, 11/15)

AP: West Virginia Allows COVID-19 Booster Shots For All Adults
West Virginia has joined several other states in allowing all adults to get coronavirus booster shots, Gov. Jim Justice said Monday. Justice has been pushing the booster shots since they became available for anyone already fully vaccinated, although the state Department of Health and Human Resources’ website has posted federal guidelines for the extra shots. Justice clarified his position at a news conference Monday. (Raby, 11/15)

NorthJersey.com: NJ COVID Booster Shot Eligibility May Be Open To All Adults Soon
New Jersey will likely waive some of the federal recommendations for adults to get a COVID vaccine booster shot, with demand among those eligible continuing to be very low, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday.(Fallon, 11/15)

The New York Times: New York City Tells Health Providers To Give Booster Shots To All Adults Who Want Them
New York City health officials on Monday encouraged all adults who want to receive coronavirus vaccine boosters to seek them out, and asked health providers not to turn them away, a move that comes as federal regulators consider expanding the eligibility pool for Pfizer-BioNTech’s booster. Anyone who is 18 or older and seeking a booster shot in New York City should not be turned away, said Dr. Dave A. Chokshi, the city’s health commissioner, provided it has been at least six months since their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or at least two months since they received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot. (Fadulu, 11/15)

On the "lackluster" booster rollout —

Axios: America's Lackluster Coronavirus Vaccine Booster Rollout Could Become A Big Problem 
The Biden administration is expected to begin the process of expanding the booster authorization to all adults as early as this week, according to a source familiar with internal planning. America's booster campaign got off to an underwhelming start, potentially leaving millions of vulnerable people at risk as the holidays approach. (Owens, 11/16)

Meanwhile, in California —

San Francisco Chronicle: California Wants All Adults To Get Booster Shots. Here's Why Making An Appointment Is A Challenge
Health officials in California want everyone 18 and older to get COVID-19 booster shots ahead of the holiday season. But there is still widespread confusion about who can book an appointment and how. That’s because most online vaccination scheduling systems — including the state’s MyTurn appointment site — still show the specific eligibility categories to receive a booster dose that were in place before state and county officials last week began encouraging booster shots for all. (Vaziri and Hwang, 11/15)

Los Angeles Times: L.A. Officials Warn That COVID Vaccine Protections Wane As Holidays Approach
Angelenos are busy prepping for holiday parties, shopping and family gatherings. But Los Angeles County officials worry that behavior also could lead to another winter surge of coronavirus as people who got vaccinated earlier this year lose immunity just as they get together more — including in social situations and going back to work. So officials are urging the vast majority of adults to get a booster shot as soon as possible. (Lin II and Money, 11/15)

Los Angeles Times: 70% Of Californians Have Gotten At Least One COVID Vaccine Dose
Seven out of 10 Californians have now received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, a promising milestone that comes as state officials continue to urge more residents to roll up their sleeves for the first, second or even third time to ward off a feared coronavirus resurgence over the winter. Reaching that level of inoculation coverage — which happened over the weekend, according to data compiled by The Times — has been a long time coming in the nation’s most populous state. California officially cleared the hurdle roughly 11 months after the first vaccine doses went into arms. (Money and Lin II, 11/15)

AP: Report: 'Whole Of Society' Effort Must Fight Misinformation
Misinformation is jeopardizing efforts to solve some of humanity’s greatest challenges, be it climate change, COVID-19 or political polarization, according to a new report from the Aspen Institute that’s backed by prominent voices in media and cybersecurity. Recommendations in the 80-page analysis, published Monday, call for new regulations on social media platforms; stronger, more consistent rules for misinformation “superspreaders” who amplify harmful falsehoods and new investments in authoritative journalism and organizations that teach critical thinking and media literacy. (Klepper, 11/15)

The Boston Globe: On Podcasts And Radio, Misleading COVID-19 Talk Goes Unchecked
On a recent episode of his podcast, Rick Wiles, a pastor and self-described “citizen reporter,” endorsed a conspiracy theory: that COVID-19 vaccines were the product of a “global coup d’état by the most evil cabal of people in the history of mankind.” “It’s an egg that hatches into a synthetic parasite and grows inside your body,” Wiles said on his Oct. 13 episode. “This is like a sci-fi nightmare, and it’s happening in front of us.” (Hsu and Tracy, 11/15)

Meanwhile in Texas and Alaska —

CBS News: Texas Doctor Suspended For Spreading COVID-19 Misinformation And Refusing To Treat Vaccinated Patients, Hospital Says
A doctor has been suspended from treating patients at a Houston hospital for spreading COVID-19 misinformation online and for refusing to treat patients who were vaccinated, a hospital representative said. Dr. Mary Bowden had recently joined the medical staff at Houston Methodist hospital, a representative for Houston Methodist Hospital told CBS News via email, and was suspended before she had ever admitted a patient at the hospital. (O'Kane, 11/15)

AP: Alaska Doctors Seek COVID-19 Misinformation Investigation
Alaska doctors plan to ask the State Medical Board to investigate concerns about the spread of misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines and treatments by other physicians. Merijeanne Moore, a private practice psychiatrist, said she drafted the letter out of concern over an event about COVID-19 treatments that featured prominent vaccine skeptics in Anchorage last month, the Anchorage Daily News reported. Moore said Saturday that nearly 100 doctors had signed the letter and more could before she plans to submit the letter on Tuesday. (11/16)

Worries over vaccine hesitancy in flu season —

Modern Healthcare: Vaccine Hesitancy Could Lead To 'Twin-Demic' Of Flu And COVID-19
Influenza vaccinations are lagging behind what doctors would like to see during Michigan's first two months of flu season, leading some experts to worry that the conditions are ripe for a "twin-demic" with COVID-19. "It's one of the things that I worry about in this phase of the pandemic," said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the state's chief medical executive. "As a physician, I worry that (COVID-19) is still causing disease, morbidity and mortality, but people either could get infected with multiple respiratory pathogens at the same time." (Greene, 11/15)

The Wall Street Journal: Labor Groups Press For Biden’s Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate To Go Further 
Three labor organizations are calling on the Biden administration to review its Covid-19 vaccine mandate, with some indicating the policy is too limited in applying to only large businesses. The AFL-CIO and the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union filed a petition in federal court last week asking the Occupational Health and Safety Administration to review the new federal vaccine policy, which directs companies with 100 or more employees to require that workers either be vaccinated or get tested regularly for Covid-19 and wear masks. SEIU, Local 32BJ, which is a part of the larger Service Employees International Union, also filed a petition in federal court last week. (Prang, 11/15)

Politico: Pentagon: Oklahoma Guard Must Comply With Vaccine Mandate
The Pentagon's top spokesperson on Monday insisted Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had the authority to require National Guard members to get vaccinated against Covid-19, despite new resistance from Oklahoma's highest-ranking military official. "It is a lawful order for National Guardsmen to receive the Covid vaccine. It is a lawful order," Defense Department press secretary John Kirby told reporters at a news briefing. "Refusing to do that, absent an approved exemption, puts them in the same potential [for disciplinary action] as active-duty members who refuse the vaccine," he added. (Forgey, 11/15)

In moves on mandates across the states —

The New York Times: The Florida Legislature Kicks Off A Special Session To Pass Bills Curtailing Federal Covid Mandates
At the request of Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican who has used his opposition to vaccine and mask mandates to build up his national political profile, Florida lawmakers kicked off a special legislative session on Monday to take up legislation aimed at restricting such measures. Mr. DeSantis, who is seen as a possible presidential candidate in 2024, has cast the session as a high-profile effort to counter the vaccination rules set by the Biden administration. (Mazzei, 11/15)

AP: Idaho Lawmakers Meet To Take On Federal Vaccine Requirements
Idaho lawmakers in a first-ever move in state history reconvened the Legislature on Monday after more than five months off to put forward about three dozen bills dealing with COVID-19 vaccine and mask requirements. The House never formally adjourned and came back at the request of Republican House Speaker Scott Bedke. The Senate, though it did adjourn in May, also showed up. Normally, only the governor can summon lawmakers when they leave the Statehouse after adjourning. The Idaho attorney general’s office says the Legislature reconvening is likely legal, but it’s unprecedented and a court could decide otherwise, making any laws passed null. (Ridler, 11/16)

Houston Chronicle: Texas AG Ken Paxton Gets Grilled On Fox News Over 'Inconsistent' Vaccine Stances
Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton was put under pressure by Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace to explain his seemingly conflicting viewpoints that federal vaccine mandates are an overreach but bans on them adopted at the state level are fine. In his appearance on one of the network’s flagship political shows, Paxton also shied away from giving his opinion on the state's virtual abortion ban. (Goldenstein, 11/15)

A worker shortage is blamed on mandates —

San Francisco Chronicle: A Vaccine Mandate-Related Operator Shortage Has Muni Running Behind Schedule. Here's Which Lines Are Doing Worst
Just as more riders are returning to Muni, data from the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency shows its service has become more unreliable in recent months. In May of 2020, Muni switched their operations from a schedule-based approach to a headway or frequency-based one for most of its serviced routes. This means that instead of measuring performance based on how well vehicles adhere to a schedule, it is now evaluated based on how evenly spaced vehicles are from each other. (Sumida, 11/15)

NBC News: New England Covid Cases Rise As Delta Hits The Unvaccinated
New England is not out of the woods just yet. Two-week Covid case counts are up in every state in the region except for Connecticut, according to data compiled by NBC News — a stark reminder that unvaccinated people continue to face a serious risk from the delta variant of the coronavirus even in areas with high vaccination rates. (Murphy, Arkin, and Chow, 11/15)

The Texas Tribune: At Least 28 Texas Hospitals Out Of ICU Beds Last Week, According To Federal Data
At least 28 Texas hospitals were out of ICU beds last week, according to the latest federal data. The highly contagious delta variant of COVID-19 continues to send hundreds of unvaccinated Texans to the hospital with serious illness every day, putting those facilities under enormous pressure to find room for new patients. (Astudillo and Brooks Harper, 11/15)

AP: Michigan Hospitalizations Spike; State Hits 70% Vaccine Goal
COVID-19 hospitalizations in Michigan surpassed 3,000 for the first time in more than six months Monday amid a fourth surge of infections, while state officials celebrated reaching a key vaccination goal. The number of adults hospitalized with confirmed cases was 3,040. That was up from 2,111 two weeks earlier, a sharp 44% rise that — combined with a weekly case rate that was eight-highest in the U.S. — led health leaders to again plead with people to get vaccinated. (Eggert, 11/15)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: With COVID Caseload Rising, St. Louis County Again At 'High' Risk 
COVID-19 caseloads in St. Louis County surged last week, driving the county back into a federal “high” risk category for community transmission, County Executive Sam Page said Monday. The county’s 7-day average rose to 189 on Sunday from 133 a week prior, an increase of 56 cases, or 42%, according to the county health department. Doctors and health officials have worried that winter could boost coronavirus infections, as cold weather sends gatherings inside. And the virus indeed seems to be spreading more quickly now in northern states and countries, according to the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force. (O'Dea, 11/15)

ABC News: Connecticut Nursing Home COVID-19 Outbreak Results In 89 Infected, 8 Dead
A nursing home in Connecticut is recovering from a significant coronavirus outbreak, after 89 residents and staff tested positive for the virus, facility leadership reported Monday. The outbreak at Geer Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in North Canaan, Connecticut, began in late September. Eight residents with "serious underlying health issues" died as a result of the outbreak, nursing home leadership said in a statement. (Mitropoulous, 11/15)

The situation is stable in Kentucky —

AP: Beshear: Kentucky Coronavirus Cases Appearing To Plateau
After declining for seven weeks in a row, the number of new COVID-19 cases in Kentucky appear to be hitting a plateau, Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday. The state reported roughly 3,034 new coronavirus cases in the past three days. Though the total of new cases last week was higher than the previous two weeks, Beshear said there is not yet “a reason to think that there is another surge” coming. (Hudspeth Blackburn, 11/16)

Meanwhile, in schools —

The Wall Street Journal: Schools Embrace More Covid-19 Testing Over Quarantine To Keep Kids In Class
Some states and schools kicked off comprehensive testing programs during the previous school year, while others are starting to launch initiatives or have rejected the available resources. Setting up robust testing routines can be expensive and laborious, some schools have said. Some health departments and officials have been slow to roll out testing programs or to explain the benefits of in-school screening, said Sara Citrenbaum, co-director of Rapid Tests, a group that helps schools and businesses set up testing programs. “There does seem to be a disconnect between what’s being offered and actual ground-level implementation,” Ms. Citrenbaum said. (Siddiqui and Abbott, 11/15)

The Washington Post: Montgomery Children Got Diluted Vaccine Dose, Health Officials Say
Almost 100 children at a school in Montgomery County received an incorrect dose of the coronavirus vaccine at a clinic last week, the county health department said Monday. The parents of the 98 students at South Lake Elementary School in Montgomery Village were being notified Monday night that the incorrect doses were administered at a clinic at the school Wednesday, the health department said. The doses of Pfizer vaccine given at the clinic were diluted more than recommended, according to the health department. A makeup clinic will be held at the school Nov. 17 to give the affected children an additional dose. (Weil, 11/16)

KHN: Quarantine And Tracing Rules Are All Over The Map For Students
At this point in the pandemic, most parents are familiar with “covid notification” letters. But the letters’ instruction on whether your kid must quarantine or not varies wildly from school to school. In Minneapolis, students exposed to covid-19 at school are supposed to quarantine for 10 days. In the suburban Anoka-Hennepin school district, a single exposure does not trigger contact tracing or quarantining. In Andover, Kansas, schools follow quarantine protocols set by county health departments. With students from different counties attending the same school, those sitting next to each other in classrooms could be quarantined based on two sets of rules. (Mulrooney Eldred, 11/16)

And with Thanksgiving on the horizon —

The Hill: Fauci: Vaccinated Families Can 'Feel Good' About Thanksgiving Gatherings
Anthony Fauci said on Monday that families who are vaccinated against COVID-19 can “feel good about enjoying a typical” Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. President Biden’s chief medical adviser warned that the U.S. is still counting tens of thousands of new cases per day and recommended masks in indoor congregate settings. But he said the fully vaccinated should feel comfortable gathering with other vaccinated family and friends in private settings this holiday season. (Coleman, 11/15)

The Hill: 72 Percent Plan To Celebrate Holidays With Just Their Household: Poll
Most American adults intend to take COVID-19-related precautions as they prepare to celebrate the holiday season with their loved ones. Seventy-two percent of people who took part in a national survey from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center said they planned to celebrate the holidays with only members of their household compared to 79 percent last year. The poll also showed that just over half of the people surveyed would ask their guests to wear masks at holiday parties this year compared to 67 percent in 2020. (Beals, 11/15)

AP: FDA Updates COVID-19 Test Policies
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is taking several important actions to support ongoing nationwide COVID-19 testing efforts. These actions are aimed at further increasing access to accurate and reliable COVID-19 tests, particularly diagnostic tests that can be performed at home or in places like doctor's offices, hospitals, urgent care centers and emergency rooms without having to be sent to a central lab for testing. (11/15)

New York Daily News: Dr. Fauci Says He Won’t Step Down Until COVID Is in ‘Rearview Mirror’
He’s not going anywhere. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert who has provided reassurance to many Americans during the pandemic, says he won’t quit until the country gets past COVID-19. (Shahrigian, 11/15)

CBS News: Moderna Offers NIH Co-Ownership Of COVID Vaccine Patent Amid Dispute With Government
The National Institutes of Health said Monday it has engaged Moderna in "good faith discussions" to resolve a monthslong dispute over the company's patent application that advocates say could impact global production of the shots. Moderna is offering to share ownership of its COVID-19 vaccine patent with the U.S. government to resolve the dispute, the vaccine maker said, and would allow the Biden administration to "license the patents as they see fit." (Tin, 11/15) 

In other administration news —

The New York Times: Biden Signs $1 Trillion Infrastructure Bill Into Law
The bill Mr. Biden signed will not address the nation’s entire backlog of needed infrastructure investments, and it is not as ambitious as Mr. Biden’s initial $2.3 trillion proposal. The compromises that were necessary to win over a large group of Senate Republicans pared back the president’s ambitions for investing in “human infrastructure” like home health care and fortifying the nation’s physical infrastructure to fight and adapt to climate change. Still, administration officials and a wide range of outside economists and business groups largely agree that the package is the most important step in a generation toward upgrading critical infrastructure — and that it could soon begin to pay dividends for a wide range of businesses and people, from electric vehicle manufacturers to rural web surfers. (Tankersley, 11/15)

The Washington Post: Biden Delays Naming Officials To Oversee Migrant Programs, Child Care Expansion
President Biden has yet to fill the three Senate-confirmed positions at the federal division responsible for a slew of his social-services policies, including expanding child care, establishing universal preschool and housing migrant children at the border, ahead of a congressional deadline that takes effect Tuesday. Biden has not nominated an assistant secretary to oversee the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a division of the Department of Health and Human Services with a $62 billion budget. The division manages the nation’s Head Start program for low-income children, welfare and foster care programs, in addition to the embattled refugee office that handles the care of migrant children — one of the biggest challenges of Biden’s presidency so far. The assistant secretary also would oversee tens of billions of dollars in new federal funds from Biden’s social spending package, a massive infusion of cash intended to transform early childhood care and education in America. (Diamond, 11/15)

In other news from Capitol Hill —

The Hill: House Passes Bill To Expand Veterans' Access To COVID-19, Flu Vaccines
The House passed legislation on Monday that would expand access for veterans, their spouses and their caregivers to receive vaccines for both the flu and COVID-19 through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The bill, passed by voice vote, would build upon a law enacted earlier this year that gave the VA authority to administer coronavirus vaccines to all veterans as well as their spouses and caregivers. That marked a significant expansion from prior rules that limited the VA to administering vaccines to veterans enrolled in its health care system or family caregivers registered in its assistance program. Under the proposal approved on Monday, the VA could provide seasonal flu vaccines alongside the COVID-19 shots through April 29 of next year. (Marcos, 11/15)

On marijuana —

NBC News: South Carolina Republican Introduces Bill To Decriminalize Marijuana At Federal Level
Rep. Nancy Mace, a first-term Republican from South Carolina, introduced a bill Monday to decriminalize cannabis at the federal level, which she hopes will garner more GOP support for the legalization movement. "This legislation, I believe, has something good for everyone, whether you're a Democrat or a Republican," Mace told reporters outside the Capitol, where she introduced her States Reform Act. (Gregorian, 11/16)

Bloomberg: McKesson Opioid Trial Begins With $95 Billion Potentially at Stake
McKesson Corp. and two other drug distributors say they could end up having to pay more than $95 billion if they lose a trial in Seattle over the opioid crisis that began Monday. Washington State Attorney General Robert Ferguson claims McKesson, Cardinal Health Inc. and AmerisourceBergen Corp. violated the state’s consumer-protection laws by turning a blind eye to red flags about opioid shipments. The companies failed to have tracking systems in place to prevent illegitimate sales and distribution of opioids as required by Washington’s state law, Ferguson said. (Feeley, 11/15)

Reuters: Washington State, In $95 Billion Opioid Trial, Blames Drug Distributors For Crisis
Washington state's attorney general on Monday argued in court that three large drug distributors' excessive shipments of pain pills helped fuel the U.S. opioid epidemic, calling it the "worst man-made public health crisis in history," as the state sought to recoup an estimated $95 billion. The argument came at the start of a trial in the state's bid to recover more money from distributors McKesson Corp (MCK.N), Cardinal Health Inc (CAH.N) and AmerisourceBergen Corp (ABC.N) than it would have received in a $26 billion nationwide settlement. (Raymond, 11/16)

AP: Washington Seeks Over $38 Billion From Opioid Distributors
After rejecting a half-billion-dollar settlement, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson on Monday took the state's case against the nation's three biggest drug distributors to trial, saying they must be held accountable for their role in the nation's opioid epidemic. The Democrat delivered part of the opening statement in King County Superior Court himself, calling the case possibly the most significant public health lawsuit his agency had ever filed. (11/15)

Pharmacy chains dispute opioid role —

Reuters: Pharmacy Chains Defend Actions As Landmark U.S. Opioid Trial Nears Its End
Lawyers for pharmacy chains including CVS and Walgreens on Monday argued they were not to blame for the U.S. opioid epidemic, as jurors prepared to consider whether to hold them responsible for the devastation the drug crisis caused in two Ohio counties. Mark Lanier, a lawyer for Lake and Trumbull counties, told a federal jury in Cleveland that a verdict in the case against CVS Health Corp (CVS.N), Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (WBA.O) and Walmart Inc (WMT.N) would have ramifications across the country. (Segall, 11/15)

On the Johnson & Johnson talc lawsuits —

Bloomberg: 9/11 Victim Fund Director Feinberg Is Named Mediator For J&J Fight
The lawyer who oversaw payments to victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has agreed to mediate part of the fight between Johnson & Johnson’s former talc supplier and thousands of women who claim the company’s baby powder causes ovarian cancer. Kenneth R. Feinberg would share duties with another mediator as part of an effort to resolve nearly 14,000 lawsuits against Imerys Talc America. Imerys filed bankruptcy in Delaware in 2019 with plans to force J&J to help pay for a victim’s trust that would settle all current and future lawsuits. J&J claims it isn’t responsible for helping Imerys. (Church, 11/15)

The Hill: Most Say Police Shouldn't Be Primary Responders For Mental Health Crises: NAMI Poll
A wide majority of Americans say mental health professionals, rather than law enforcement, should be the primary first responders to mental health crises, a poll released Monday found. The poll, conducted by Ipsos on behalf of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), found broad support for police, with 72 percent of respondents having a favorable view of law enforcement. Still, nearly 80 percent of respondents said mental health professionals, not police, should respond to mental health and suicide situations. (Coleman, 11/15)

The Wall Street Journal: Ohio Sues Meta Alleging Facebook Parent Misled Public About Its Products’ Effect On Children
Ohio’s attorney general is suing Meta Platforms Inc., FB 1.96% formerly known as Facebook Inc., alleging the company misled the public about how it controlled its algorithm and the effects its products have on children. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Meta investors and the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System, seeks more than $100 billion in damages and demands that Meta make significant changes so as to not mislead investors again, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said in a statement. “This suit is without merit and we will defend ourselves vigorously,” Joe Osborne, a Meta spokesperson, said. (Bobrowsky, 11/15)

A flu outbreak prompts an official response —

The Hill: CDC Investigators Going To University Of Michigan Amid Flu Outbreak
Investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are going to the University of Michigan to look into the flu outbreak on campus and examine how the illness is spreading. Since the first positive flu case was detected on the Ann Arbor campus on Oct. 6, a total of 528 cases of the flu have been diagnosed at the University Health Service (UHS), according to a statement from the university. Of those cases, 77 percent were among people who did not get a flu shot. (Schnell, 11/15)

In news on premature births —

GMA: Premature Births Continue To Rise For Black, Native American Mothers: Report
The rate of babies born premature in the United States has declined for the first time in six years, but experts warn it is not a cause for celebration, as a maternal and infant health crisis still exists. Preterm birth rates in the U.S. decreased 0.1% from 10.2% in 2019 to 10.1% in 2020, according to a report published Monday by the March of Dimes, a nonprofit organization focused on improving the health of pregnant people and babies. (Kindelan, 11/15)

The Washington Post: Long Covid Symptoms Linger In 50 Percent Of People Who Survive The Disease
At least 50 percent of people who survive covid-19 experience a variety of physical and psychological health issues for six months or more after their initial recovery, according to research on the long-term effects of the disease, published in the journal JAMA Network Open. Often referred to as “long covid,” the adverse health effects vary from person to person. But the research, based on data from 250,351 adults and children, found that more than half experience a decline in general well-being, resulting in weight loss, fatigue, fever or pain. (Searing, 11/15)

CBS News: How Are Long-Haul COVID Symptoms Affecting Children?
At first glance, it's hard to believe Aaron Estrada is anything other than a healthy 4-year-old, but it has taken a year for the energetic little boy to get here. In November 2020, Aaron was in a hospital bed for more than a week, requiring oxygen to breathe, after contracting COVID. His hair started falling out, he had heart problems, and he couldn't walk or stand for a month. (11/15)

The Hill: NIH Long-Term Study On Children Who Had COVID-19 Enrolls First Participant
A long-term National Institutes of Health (NIH) study on the impacts of COVID-19 on children and young adults enrolled its first participant, the agency announced on Monday. The NIH’s research intends to follow 1,000 children and young adults ages 3 to 21 who previously tested positive for COVID-19 over three years to examine the virus’s impact on their physical and mental health, including their development and immune responses to the virus. The agency enrolled its first participant from its Clinical Center in Bethesda, Md., as part of the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) initiative. Participants need parents’ or guardians’ consent to be enrolled. (Coleman, 11/15)

In other news —

AP: Racial Disparities In Kids’ Vaccinations Are Hard To Track
The rollout of COVID-19 shots for elementary-age children has exposed another blind spot in the nation's efforts to address pandemic inequalities: Health systems have released little data on the racial breakdown of youth vaccinations, and community leaders fear that Black and Latino kids are falling behind. Only a handful of states have made public data on COVID-19 vaccinations by race and age, and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not compile racial breakdowns either. (11/15)

CIDRAP: Women, Racial Minority Health Workers Struggle To Find Respirators That Fit
Most respiratory protective equipment (RPE) used in healthcare is not designed for women or racial minorities amid a dearth of research into how facial dimensions across sex and race affect respirator performance, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published late last week in BMJ Global Health. Researchers at the University of Southampton in England led the study, which involved analysis of 32 studies and anthropometric data (measurements and proportions of the human body) from 15 studies. (11/15)

Bloomberg: Covid Patients Taking Antidepressant May Have Lower Death Risk
A common antidepressant appears to reduce the risk of death in patients admitted to the hospital with severe Covid-19, according to a study published in the JAMA Network Open journal. About 9.8% of the 470 Covid-19 patients in the study who were taking fluoxetine, also sold under the brand name Prozac, died. That’s compared to over 13% of patients with similar characteristics not receiving any antidepressants. A recent trial in Brazil showed fluvoxamine, another antidepressant, may reduce the risk that a patient with Covid-19 ends up in the hospital. The antidepressant was chosen to be studied as a potential treatment for Covid-19 due to its anti-inflammatory properties. It’s also cheaper than Merck & Co.’s new antiviral for Covid-19. (Anghel, 11/15)

Reuters: Vaccines Not Linked To Menstrual Changes
Many women have reported noticing changes in their menstrual cycle after being vaccinated against COVID-19 but a new study of 1,273 women in the UK found no correlation, according to a report posted on Monday on medRxiv ahead of peer review. The women in the study kept careful records of their cycles and their vaccination dates. "We were unable to detect strong signals to support the idea" that COVID-19 vaccines are linked to changes in timing or flow of women's periods, said Victoria Male from Imperial College London. It is possible that larger studies, or studies in other countries, might find links, she said. "It is important to note that most people who report such a change following vaccination find that their period returns to normal the following cycle." Other studies have found no evidence that the vaccines affect female fertility, Male added. (Lapid, 11/15)

Stat: Scientists Report Finding A Second Person ‘Naturally’ Cured Of HIV 
One evening in March 2020, a doctor walked out of a hospital in the Argentine city of Esperanza cradling a styrofoam cooler. He handed it to a young man who’d been waiting outside for hours, who nestled it securely in his car and sped off. His destination, a biomedical research institute in Buenos Aires, was 300 miles away, and he only had until midnight to reach it. That day, while his sister was inside the hospital giving birth to her first child, Argentina’s president had ordered a national lockdown to prevent further spread of the coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, including strict controls on entering and leaving the nation’s capital. If the brother didn’t make it, the contents of the cooler — more than 500 million cells from his sister’s placenta — would be lost, along with any secrets they might be holding. (Molteni, 11/15)

CNN: A Second HIV Patient May Have Been 'Cured' Of Infection Without Treatment 
Researchers say they have found a second patient whose body seemingly had rid itself of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS -- supporting hope that it may be possible someday to find a way to cure more people of the virus. The patient has received no treatment for her infection but is a rare "elite controller" of the virus who, eight years after she was first diagnosed, shows no signs of active infection and shows no signs of intact virus anywhere in her body, researchers reported Monday. This has only happened once before. (Howard, 11/16)

NBC News: Woman’s Own Immune System Has Possibly Cured Her Of HIV
A woman in Argentina has become only the second documented person whose own immune system may have cured her of HIV. Researchers have dubbed the 30-year-old mother, who was first diagnosed with HIV in 2013, the “Esperanza patient,” after the town in Argentina where she lives. In English, “esperanza” means “hope.” (Ryan, 11/15)

On depression —

Axios: Increased Depression Ups Heart Risk 
Nearly 40% of patients reported new or continuing symptoms of depression in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic — a problem that could lead to increases in future physical health problems, according to a new study by Intermountain Healthcare. The study, presented this weekend at American Heart Association's virtual 2021 Scientific Session, warns that the uptick could be linked to future increases in heart concerns. (Reed, 11/15)

CIDRAP: Depressed Patients Visited ED More Often For Anxiety, Chest Pain In Pandemic
Researchers at Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City examined 4,633 patients who completed a routine depression screening before (Mar 1, 2019, to Feb 29, 2020) and during (Mar 1, 2020, to Apr 20, 2021) the pandemic.Nearly 40% of patients said they had new or continuing depression symptoms in the first year of the pandemic. Among depressed patients, screening scores were higher during rather than before the pandemic. The odds of visiting an ED for treatment of anxiety was 2.8 times higher for depressed versus nondepressed patients and 1.8 times higher for anxiety accompanied by chest pain. (11/15)

Also —

Fox News: New Study Gives Hope For Treatment Of PBC, The Silent Liver Disease
Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) is an autoimmune disease where the small bile ducts of the liver become inflamed. The disease often goes undetected, potentially leading to scarring and cirrhosis of the liver, liver failure, and possibly death, hepatologists told Fox News. Patients with advanced stages of the disease who do not respond to other therapies may require a liver transplant, liver disease experts said. However, a recent report shows new hope for treatment. "PBC is a serious silent liver disease often misdiagnosed because of lack of knowledge in the medical community," Douglas Dieterich, M.D., a liver disease specialist and professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, explained to Fox News in an interview. (McGorry, 11/15)

Stat: A Path Forward For Trusted AI In Breast Cancer Risk Prediction
As the role of artificial intelligence grows in medicine, one of the leading concerns is that algorithmic tools will perpetuate disparities in care. Because AIs are trained on health records reflecting current standards of care, they could end up parroting bias baked into the medical system if not carefully designed. And if algorithms aren’t trained and tested on data from diverse populations, they could be less effective when used to guide care for poorly-represented subsets of patients. So some AI development groups are tackling that problem head on, training and testing their algorithms on diverse patient data to ensure they can apply to a wide range of patients — long before they’re deployed in the wild. (Palmer, 11/16)

CIDRAP: Global Survey Shows More Countries Addressing Antimicrobial Resistance
A growing number of countries are making commitments to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR), but the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed progress and much work remains, according to the latest global survey conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). While a record number of countries (163) responded to the latest Tripartite AMR country self-assessment survey, more than 90% reported that the pandemic has impeded development and implementation of national plans to address AMR. (Dall, 11/15)

CIDRAP: Female Docs 30 Times More Likely To Manage Childcare Amid COVID: Survey
Physician mothers were more likely than physician fathers to be responsible for childcare, schooling, and household chores; work mostly from home; reduce their work hours; have work-family conflicts; and have symptoms of depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a survey-based study published late last week in JAMA Network Open. The study, led by University of Michigan at Ann Arbor researchers, involved 276 US physicians enrolled in the Intern Health Study, which assessed stress and depression in their first year of residency and who completed an online follow-up survey in August 2018 and again 2 years later. (Van Beusekom, 11/15)

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Science Explains The Differences In Aging Between Men And Women
Consider 100 baby boys and 100 baby girls born in 1950. Experts predict that 46 of the men and 61 of the women — a third more — will still be alive at age 80 in 2030. Even Steven Austad, an expert on aging at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, didn’t give statistics like that much thought until about 10 years ago. Everyone knew that women outlived men. He figured it was just because men had more heart disease. (Burling, 11/15)

Axios: BioNTech Sets Sights On Cancer 
BioNTech, the German biotech that gained global attention for its partnership with Pfizer on a COVID-19 vaccine, has turned its attention back to one of its earlier mRNA targets: cancer. CEO Uğur Şahin presented new cell therapy data at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer conference in D.C. over the weekend. "We have a blueprint now for infectious disease vaccines," Sahin told a gathering of reporters about the impact the COVID vaccine development had on the future of mRNA technology. (Reed, 11/15)

Stat: In A Sudden Move, Biogen's Top Scientist Al Sandrock To Retire
Al Sandrock, Biogen’s top scientist and the face of its years-long campaign to develop a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, is leaving the company after more than two decades, STAT reported first Monday. The surprise departure of Sandrock, who oversees all of Biogen’s research and development, leaves a void in the company’s upper ranks. And it comes as Biogen is facing a worsening business outlook, saddled with a string of setbacks to its research pipeline and forced to defend its scientific integrity after the approval of the polarizing Alzheimer’s treatment Aduhelm. (Garde, Feuerstein and Herper, 11/15)

Georgia Health News: Emory Chief Stepping Down, Praised For ‘Tremendous Contribution’  
Dr. Jonathan Lewin is stepping down as Emory Healthcare CEO and chairman after six years — a period that saw strong growth in the Atlanta-based system. Lewin, who is also executive vice president for health affairs of Emory University and executive director of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center, will remain in all the positions until a successor is named. Over his tenure, Emory Healthcare has increased its operating revenue and expanded its clinical reach in metro Atlanta and the state, adding DeKalb Medical Center to its system. (Miller, 11/15)

Also —

Modern Healthcare: UnitedHealth Exec's Court Testimony Hints At MultiPlan Trouble
TeamHealth subsidiary Fremont Emergency Services is suing Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealthcare for allegedly shortchanging emergency room physicians $10.5 million. It is one of at least nine complaints the private equity-backed provider has pending against the nation's largest insurer. New York-based MultiPlan helps UnitedHealthcare negotiate rates with out-of-network providers like TeamHealth. (Tepper, 11/15)

AP: Employers Eye Shifting Health Care Needs During Pandemic
Health care costs rise every year, but the nation’s biggest employers still see insurance coverage as an important benefit to provide. They just struggle getting the health care system to deliver what their workers need, according to Elizabeth Mitchell, CEO of the Purchaser Business Group on Health. (Murphy, 11/15)

Stat: Conflicts Of Interest Common Among Editors Of Some Medical Textbooks
Amid ongoing concerns over conflicts of interest that may affect medical practice, a new analysis finds two-thirds of nine widely used psychopharmacology textbooks had at least one editor or contributing author who received personal payments from drug makers. Overall, 11 of 21 editors or authors received more than $11 million between 2013 and 2020, although most of the money was paid to a single author by one drug maker that sells an antidepressant. Five of those editors and authors — or 24% — each received more than $75,000 during that period. And almost all of the payments were for activities other than research — primarily consulting and promotional speaking, according to the study published in Community Mental Health Journal. (Silverman, 11/15)

Stat: Ascension Health System Is Running A Wall Street-Style Private Equity Fund
America’s largest Catholic hospital system, Ascension, has quietly built out a strikingly unusual private equity operation worth more than $1 billion, a STAT investigation has found. The investigation reveals how far a wealthy, religious, tax-exempt health system can migrate toward behaving like a Wall Street firm — and how little such a system has to disclose about whether or how its profits are benefiting patients. (Cohrs, 11/16)

Modern Healthcare: Federal COVID-19 Grants Keep Henry Ford Profitable
Henry Ford Health System's latest financial filing show it continues to rely on federal COVID-19 stimulus grants to stay in the black as the system struggles with mounting staff and supply costs. Without the stimulus funds, the Detroit-based system would have lost $14 million on $5.1 billion in operating revenue in the nine months ended Sept. 30, a 0.3% loss margin. That's a fraction of the $96 million operating loss Henry Ford would have posted on $4.8 billion in revenue in the comparable 2020 period without the federal help, a 2.1% loss margin. (Bannow, 11/15)

North Carolina Health News: How To Achieve Equity In Cancer Care? Look To Raleigh 
Dr. Katherine Reeder-Hayes, an oncologist and researcher at UNC Chapel Hill, recently had a patient arrive at her office with advanced stage breast cancer. The patient listened as Reeder-Hayes explained what she was facing and how quickly they’d need to start care. But there was resistance, Reeder-Hayes said. The patient kept asking if there was any way she could delay starting treatment.  “She really needed to get started with her chemotherapy — that was going to enable her breast cancer surgery. And she kept asking me, ‘Could we do this in a couple of months?’,” Reeder-Hayes said. “I really didn’t understand the question. I thought perhaps she didn’t understand the seriousness of her diagnosis.” (Donnelly-DeRoven, 11/16)

Modern Healthcare: 36K Kaiser Workers Plan One-Day Sympathy Strike
A labor union representing 36,000 Kaiser Permanente workers is planning a one-day walkout Thursday in support of an International Union of Operating Engineers local in northern California that has been on strike since September. The sympathy strike, which will begin at 7 a.m. P.T, will take place at 21 Kaiser Permanente facilities in northern California and will involve optometrists, clinical laboratory scientists, respiratory and x-ray technicians, licensed vocational nurses, certified nursing assistants, surgical technicians, pharmacy technicians, phlebotomists, medical assistants and housekeepers, among others represented by Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, a news release said. (Christ, 11/15)

Modern Healthcare: Hospitals Can Share Space, Services Under Final CMS Guidance
A hospital can be located on the same property or even in the same building as another hospital, so long as each entity can independently comply with Medicare and Medicaid program participation requirements, according to guidance the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published Friday. The policy document provides answers to questions hospitals have asked for years and grants them more leeway than they had under previous federal guidance. The policy also applies to housekeeping, security, laboratories and other services at co-located facilities. (Goldman, 11/15)

On health care costs —

Crain's New York Business: The Real Cost Of Healthcare In New York
Rankings tout the best hospitals to receive cancer care or treatment of a heart attack. They recommend where to go for a hip or a knee replacement. But tools are scarce for patients who want to choose a hospital based on costs. A federal rule that went into effect Jan. 1 was intended to provide just that. Enacted by the Trump administration, it requires hospitals to disclose their cash prices, or the costs of procedures without health insurance, and the rates they negotiate with insurance companies for all their services. (Glodowski and Kaufman, 11/15)

Axios: Out-Of-Network Health Care Puts Patients In Financial Jeopardy 
People who have health insurance but get sick with rare diseases that require out-of-network care continue to face potentially unlimited costs. Federal regulations cap how much people pay out of pocket for in-network care, but no such limit exists for out-of-network care. (Herman, 11/16)

KHN: As Big Pharma And Hospitals Battle Over Drug Discounts, Patients Miss Out On Millions In Benefits
In early July, as the covid-19 pandemic slammed rural America, the president of a small Kansas hospital sat down on a Friday afternoon and wrote the president of the United States to plead for help. “I do not intend to add to your burden,” said Brian Williams, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and Desert Storm combat veteran. He said his hospital, Labette Health, was “like a war zone,” inundated with unvaccinated patients. A department head had threatened to resign, saying he could not “watch one more body be carried out.” But Williams wasn’t seeking pandemic relief. (Jane Tribble and Featherstone, 11/16)

In news on dental care —

KHN: Missouri’s Thin Dental Safety Net Stretched Amid Medicaid Expansion
Roughly 275,000 Missourians are newly eligible this year for Medicaid, the federal-state public health insurance program for people with low incomes, and they can be covered for dental care, too. Missouri voters approved expansion of the program in 2020, the latest of 39 states to do so as part of the Affordable Care Act, but politics delayed its implementation until Oct. 1. Adults earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level — about $17,774 per year for an individual or $24,040 for a family of two — can now get coverage. But one big question remains: Who will treat these newly insured dental patients? (Sable-Smith, 11/16)

CNN: Connecticut Nursing Home: 8 Deaths Reported After Recent Covid-19 Outbreak At Geer Village Senior Community In North Canaan 
Eight residents of a nursing home in northwestern Connecticut have died since late September following a Covid-19 outbreak, the nursing home said in a statement. A total of 89 residents and staff -- many of whom were fully vaccinated -- have tested positive for Covid-19 in the last seven weeks, Geer Village Senior Community in North Canaan said Friday, and 11 residents and one staff member remain in isolation. "Sadly, we have lost 8 residents with serious underlying health issues to Covid," the statement said. (Akbarzai and Caldwell, 11/16)

Arizona Republic: Granite Creek's Former Administrator Larry Rasmussen Gives Up License
Larry Michael Rasmussen, who forced employees at a Prescott nursing home to keep working while sick with COVID-19, has surrendered his license. He was no longer running the facility but has maintained an active license up to this point. The board that licenses nursing home administrators unanimously accepted his offer Monday. Members had subpoenaed him and other nursing home employees to appear. (McGlade, 11/15)

The New York Times: Colorado Plans To Require Vaccination For Indoor Events Of 500 Or More People In Six Counties
As coronavirus infections inch up at the national level in the United States and spike significantly in some areas, more states and cities are enacting vaccination requirements for people to participate in aspects of public life, hoping to avoid a devastating surge like the one the country experienced last winter. In Colorado, where cases have increased 11 percent in the past two weeks and deaths have increased 44 percent, according to a New York Times database, proof of vaccination will be required starting Friday for anyone attending an indoor, unseated event with more than 500 people in any of six counties in the Denver area, the most populous region of the state. (Astor, 11/15)

CNN: Georgia Ambulance Driver Admitted To Drinking, Smoking Marijuana And Taking Adderall Before Crash That Killed Patient, Police Say 
A Georgia ambulance driver has been arrested and charged with driving under the influence and second-degree homicide-by-vehicle after he crashed the ambulance he was driving, killing the dialysis patient he was transporting, according to authorities. Kevin T. McCorvey, 34, was driving a private ambulance on West Campbellton Street in Fairburn just before 7:30 p.m. Friday when police say he veered off the shoulder of the road causing the ambulance to roll over into a ditch. A patient, Wilton Thomason Jr., 66, was in the back of the ambulance and was not restrained in any way, according to preliminary investigative findings of the Georgia State Patrol. He suffered fatal injuries, GSP said. (Boyette, 11/16)

On workplace matters —

AP: OSHA, South Dakota Pork Plant Settle Coronavirus Complaint
Federal workplace safety regulators announced Monday that they have reached an agreement with Smithfield Foods to settle a contested citation of the company’s coronavirus safety measures during a massive outbreak last year at a South Dakota pork processing plant. Under the agreement, Virginia-based Smithfield Foods will develop a plan to prevent infectious diseases at meatpacking plants nationwide and pay a $13,500 fine. (Groves, 11/16)

AP: Amazon Settles California COVID Workers Notification Dispute
Amazon has agreed to pay $500,000 and be monitored by California officials to ensure it properly notifies its workers about new coronavirus cases, the state's attorney general said Monday. Amazon employs about 150,000 people in California, most of them at 100 “fulfillment centers” — sprawling warehouses where orders are packed and shipped. The agreement, which must be approved by a judge, requires the Seattle-based retailer to notify its workers within a day of new coronavirus cases in their workplaces. (11/15)

The New York Times: Pfizer Will Allow Its Covid Pill To Be Made And Sold Cheaply In Poor Countries
Pfizer announced a deal on Tuesday to allow its promising Covid-19 treatment to be made and sold inexpensively in 95 poorer nations that are home to more than half of the world’s population. The agreement follows a similar arrangement negotiated by Merck last month, and together the deals have the potential to vastly expand global production of two simple antiviral pills that could alter the course of the pandemic by preventing severe illness from the coronavirus. (Nolen and Robbins, 11/16)

Politico: Moderna Nears Deal To Pledge More Vaccines To Lower-Income Countries
After months of intense negotiations, vaccine maker Moderna is nearing an agreement to pledge many millions more doses of its Covid-19 shot to low- and middle-income countries in 2022, two people with knowledge of the matter told POLITICO. The deal with chief vaccine equity initiative COVAX would provide a boost to a global vaccination campaign that has suffered from delays and difficulties in securing sufficient doses from drug makers. It comes amid escalating pressure on Moderna — which has benefited from U.S. taxpayer-funded vaccine technology without a requirement to share it with poorer nations — to step up its aid to the developing world. (Cancryn, Banco and Owermohle, 11/15)

On bird flu —

Reuters: Japan Confirms H5N8 Strain In Third Bird Flu Outbreak In The Country
Japan has confirmed the highly pathogenic bird flu subtype H5N8 was detected at a poultry farm in the third outbreak of avian influenza in the country this winter, the agriculture ministry said on Tuesday. The outbreak was discovered on Monday at a farm with about 11,000 egg-laying chickens in Izumi City in Kagoshima prefecture in southwestern Japan, the ministry said in a statement on its website. It comes as several outbreaks of severe bird flu in Europe and Asia have been reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health in recent days, in a sign the virus is spreading quickly again. (11/16)

Axios: Bird Flu Outbreaks Reported In Europe And Asia 
The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) has received several reports of outbreaks of bird flu in Europe and Asia in recent days, Reuters reports. Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, is a highly contagious strain of influenza that affects food-producing birds, pet birds and wild birds. Previous outbreaks have prompted the mass culling of birds and trade restrictions in some regions, Reuters notes. (Garfinkel, 11/15)

In news from Europe —

Bloomberg: Boris Johnson Warns New UK Lockdown Is Possible With NHS Struggling
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson left the door open to another coronavirus lockdown this winter, warning that people must get their Covid-19 vaccinations and booster doses to avoid fresh restrictions. A “new wave” of Covid-19 is spreading across Europe and forcing governments to reimpose tougher rules, Johnson said at a televised press conference on Monday. “History shows we cannot afford to be complacent.” (Ashton, 11/15)

Reuters: U.S. CDC Raises COVID-19 Travel Warnings For Czech Republic, Hungary
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advised against travel to the Czech Republic, Hungary and Iceland because of a rising number of COVID-19 cases in those countries. The CDC raised its travel recommendation to "Level Four: Very High" for the three countries, telling Americans they should avoid travel there. The CDC separately lowered its COVID-19 travel advisory to "Level One: Low" for Japan, India, Pakistan, Liberia, Gambia and Mozambique. (11/15)

NPR: Austria And Germany Impose Restrictions On Unvaccinated People As COVID Cases Surge
Austria has placed some 2 million unvaccinated people on partial lockdown, while neighboring Germany has reintroduced free coronavirus testing, as the two countries contend with soaring rates of COVID-19 amid a Europe-wide wave of new infections. TeamHealth subsidiary Fremont Emergency Services is suing Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealthcare for allegedly shortchanging emergency room physicians $10.5 million. It is one of at least nine complaints the private equity-backed provider has pending against the nation's largest insurer. New York-based MultiPlan helps UnitedHealthcare negotiate rates with out-of-network providers like TeamHealth. (Neuman, 11/15)

Reuters: Pfizer To Conduct Trials Of Antiviral COVID-19 Pill In Russia
Russia has granted approval for Pzifer Inc (PFE.N) to conduct clinical trials in Russia of its experimental antiviral pill to treat COVID-19, a state registry of medicines showed on Tuesday. The trials conducted on 90 people located in home-like conditions with someone who has symptomatic COVID-19 began on Nov. 12 and will continue until March 2023, the registry's website said. Pfizer said earlier this month the experimental antiviral pill cut by 89% the chance of hospitalisation or death for adults at risk of severe disease. It hopes to make the pill available globally as quickly as possible. The pill has the brand name Paxlovid. (11/16)

AP: Italy: Police Move Against Violent Anti-Vaccine Activists
Police conducted searches across Italy on Monday against 17 anti-vaccine activists who were allegedly affiliated with a Telegram chat that espoused violence against government, medical and media figures for their perceived support of COVID-19 restrictions. Police in Turin said the “Basta Dittatura” (Enough of the Dictatorship) chat had tens of thousands of members and was a prime forum for organizing protests against Italy’s health pass. (Winfield, 11/15)

The New York Times: Europe Toughens Rules For Unvaccinated As Fourth Covid Wave Swells
Hospitalizations and deaths were mostly in Eastern Europe, but the new wave threatened the economic recoveries and Christmas vacations across the continent. A return to normalcy predicated on the success of vaccination campaigns was being increasingly threatened by the unvaccinated who offered the virus room to run. That is why governments all around Europe have been taking the extra step of explicitly singling out the unvaccinated. The new rules in Austria amounted to “a massive reduction in contacts between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated,” Professor Eva Schernhammer of the Medical University of Vienna told the BBC. (Horowitz, 11/15)

Elsewhere around the world —

The Washington Post: Scorpions Hospitalize Hundreds In Aswan, Egypt After Storm
Aswan, Egypt, is one of the world’s driest cities, where it hardly ever rains. Situated along the Nile River and home to more than 1.5 million people, it averages just 0.12 inches (3 millimeters) of rain per year. But on Friday and Saturday, intense thunderstorms and even hail deluged the desert city and parts of the surrounding region. The Associated Press reported that the torrents caused flooding and power outages, closed schools and left three people dead. The rains also unleashed something especially sinister: hordes of highly venomous scorpions whose stings hospitalized 503 people, according to Ehab Hanafy, undersecretary of the Health Ministry in Aswan. (Samenow, 11/15)

Bloomberg: New Zealand's Maori Ask Anti-Vaccine Protesters To Stop Using Ceremonial Dance
Ngati Toa, an indigenous tribe in New Zealand, denounced a group of anti-vaccine protesters for performing a ceremonial Maori dance known as the Ka Mate haka during a demonstration in Wellington on November 9th. “As the descendants of Te Rauparaha, we insist that protesters stop using our taonga immediately,” said senior member of Ngati Toa Taku Parai, in a statement on Radio Waatea this week.  “We do not support their position.”  (Silvan, 11/15)

Bloomberg: Australia Faces Compensation Bill For Vaccine Side Effects: SMH
Australia’s government may face a more than A$50 million ($37 million) bill related to its Covid-19 vaccination program, as thousands of people register for compensation for health issues related to their inoculations, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. More than 10,000 people have registered for a government program to be compensated for lost income after being hospitalized for rare but significant side effects from the jab, the paper reported, citing official data. Compensation starts from A$5,000, meaning the program would cost at least A$50 million should each claim be approved. (Burgess, 11/16)

Bloomberg: Hong Kong Experts Back Sinovac Shots For Kids Ages 3 And Older
Hong Kong’s advisers backed lowering the age of eligibility for vaccines from China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd. to 3 years old, down from 18 years old, as the city works to bolster Covid-19 immunity levels and reopen its border with China. The Sinovac vaccine had good safety when administered on younger children of different ethnicities, experts serving on panels for the Centre for Health Protection said in a statement late Monday after reviewing real-world and clinical trial data. Currently, children aged 12 to 17 are only allowed to receive shots made by Germany’s BioNTech SE, the other vaccine dispensed in the city. (Hong, 11/15)

Modern Healthcare: Our Healthcare Staffing Crisis Is A Patient Safety Crisis, Too 
As the COVID-19 delta variant grips the nation and workforce shortages impact every industry, the effects on healthcare providers and the implications on quality of care are urgent. Public discourse around this issue has largely focused on increased costs to healthcare institutions as the great resignation hits healthcare. Indeed, hospital expenses per discharged patient have increased by over 15% year-to-date compared to 2019, and much of that increase relates directly to contract temporary labor, the cost of which has skyrocketed by over 100% for both full- and part-time staff. (Dr. Shereef Elnahal, 11/16)

The CT Mirror: America -- The Only High-Income Country Without Paid Family Leave
The United States of America, Palau, Nauru, Tonga, Micronesia, Marshal Islands, Suriname: these countries are exceptional in one way. Of the 190 countries in the United Nations, they are the only ones that do not guarantee paid time off for new parents. Almost all of humanity, more than seven billion people worldwide, have better leave support than new parents in the U.S. The global average for paid maternity leave is 29 weeks. One hundred fifty-eight countries offer 12 weeks or more of paid family leave. It is almost universal. (Marie Ricketts, 11/16)

Stat: Personalized Medicine Goes Far Beyond Genetics 
Since the Human Genome Project was completed in 2003, most public considerations of personalized medicine have focused on genetically targeted treatments. As The New York Times recently reported, genetic testing and targeted therapies have, for example, introduced a “totally different world” that replaces one-size-fits-all chemotherapy with tailored treatment options for individuals with certain genetically defined breast and lung cancers. (Christopher J. Wells, 11/16)

CNN: I Still Can't Stop Watching Cecily Strong's Clown Sketch 
Don't you love farce? After watching and re-watching the now-legendary segment from Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update" that aired last weekend, I couldn't stop thinking about that line from Stephen Sondheim's "Send In the Clowns." The song is from "A Little Night Music," and is sung by a character who, as Sondheim reportedly said in an interview, "is too upset and too angry to speak." Comedian Cecily Strong, on the other hand, can speak loud and clear. When Strong, 37, playing Goober the Clown, appeared -- talking about Goober's clown abortion -- she was really sharing a story about herself on live TV, one that (as she posted to her Instagram stories) she didn't tell her mother for years. (Judy Gold, 11/14)

Stat: The Pandemic Didn't Increase Suicides. That Shouldn't Be A Surprise
In the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, mental health experts and members of the media predicted that the pandemic and its effects on society may lead to an uptick in suicides. As many of these articles and viewpoints began to gain steam, some cautioned against jumping to conclusions. I wrote in a tweet that “Resilience during times of adversity is the more common human response,” and noted that some people would likely experience increased risk while others would likely experience decreased risk. (Craig Bryan, 11/16)

Modern Healthcare: Taking Another Shot—This One For The Flu
Blacks and Latinos have significantly lower rates of vaccination against the flu, according to federal data. During the 2019-20 flu season, 53% of Whites received a shot compared with 41% of Blacks and 38% of Hispanics. Earlier this year, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center launched an initiative to address this problem, setting a target of 45.1% above national benchmarks. At deadline, they were at 38.8%. (Dr. Aaron Clark, 11/16)

The Washington Post: A Pandemic Of Misery Has Lessons Not To Be Forgotten. A National Commission Will Help
No family, city or nation has been untouched by the coronavirus pandemic. A pressing and unmet need remains to understand why it happened, what worked in response and what didn’t, and how to prevent the next one. Four senators, two Democrats and two Republicans, have proposed legislation to create a 9/11-commission-style national panel that would examine the pandemic and help prepare for the future. This bill ought to be approved by Congress. (11/15)

East Bay Times: Booster Shots For All Adults Is A Smart COVID-19 Strategy 
Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody and California public health officials are again leading the effort to minimize the ongoing COVID-19 threat. Cody announced Wednesday that the county would provide boosters to any adult, regardless of their age or health status. She called it an interpretation of the federal guidance that seemed to call for booster shots for only people 65 and older, in poor health or in high-risk work settings. California officials took a similar step Thursday when they urged that state vaccination providers give booster shots to any adult who wants one. (11/13)

USA Today: How Family Resolved Dispute About Masks And Vaccine
I am a clinical psychologist in Alabama, where less than half of the population is fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Although children 5 and older are now eligible for vaccinations, mask-wearing remains an important protection from the deadly virus. And, in my state, mask-wearing is a controversial and adversarial issue. Even within families. I treat all kinds of individual and family problems. Recently, I saw a family that had a pandemic-related issue that could not be resolved. The 10-year-old daughter was passionate about wanting to wear a mask at her school. Her parents were dead-set against it because they think “all this pandemic talk is just a bunch of overblown nonsense.” (Alan D. Blotcky, 11/13)

Stat: The Covid Watch Texting App Has Saved Lives During The Pandemic
Despite the ongoing push to increase the number of vaccinated people in the U.S., about 80,000 people will be diagnosed today with Covid-19. Most of them won’t need to be hospitalized. Instead, they will manage their care at home. Like millions of people over the past two years, they’ll likely be worried that their symptoms could get worse, and may grapple with a decision of if or when to go to the hospital for evidence-based treatment. (Krisda Chaiyachati, M. Kit Delgado and Anna U. Morgan, 11/15)

The Washington Post: Covid-19 Is Taking A Terrible Toll On Nurses. They Deserve Much More Help
Covid-19 can be a nightmare, especially if it becomes severe and requires hospitalization. But imagine the agony of seeing this nightmare over and over again, every day. Such is the intense stress on acute-care nurses, those in hospitals at front lines of the pandemic, and it is taking a terrible toll. (11/15)