| Thursday, March 25, 2021 - Kaiser Health News Posted: 25 Mar 2021 06:06 AM PDT  From Kaiser Health News - Latest Stories: Stop Blaming Tuskegee, Critics Say. It's Not an 'Excuse' for Current Medical Racism. The Tuskegee syphilis study is often cited as a reason Black Americans might hesitate to take the covid-19 vaccine. But many people say that current racism in health care and lack of access deserve more attention to move more Black Americans toward vaccine protection. (April Dembosky, KQED, 3/25) Nosing In on Kids Who Had Covid and Lost Their Sense of Smell Clinicians at pediatric hospitals are experimenting with "smell training" among children who had covid-19 and have now lost this sense. (Carmen Heredia Rodriguez, 3/25) Inmates' Distrust of Prison Health Care Fuels Distrust of Covid Vaccines Many inmates at Western Missouri Correctional Center, like their peers in prisons across Missouri and the nation, are hesitant about getting vaccinated against covid-19 because they don't trust prison health care. (Eric Berger, 3/25) Political Cartoon: 'The End is Near' Kaiser Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "Political Cartoon: 'The End is Near'" by Clay Bennett. Here's today's health policy haiku: WHEN WILL OUR COMMUNITY REACH IMMUNITY? Accelerate shots
Before new strains dominate
To protect the herd. - Laurie Gianturco If you have a health policy haiku to share, please Contact Us and let us know if you want us to include your name. Keep in mind that we give extra points if you link back to a KHN original story. Sign up to get the morning briefing in your inbox Summaries Of The News: Revised AstraZeneca Vaccine Data Still Shows Shot Is Very Effective Following questions raised by U.S. safety board officials, AstraZeneca updated its clinical trial analysis -- finding its coronavirus vaccine to be 76% effective, rather than the 79% reported Monday. The report maintains that it is 100% effective at protecting against severe covid. Stat: Pushing Back Against U.S. Health Officials, AstraZeneca Says New Analysis Confirms Efficacy Of Its Covid-19 Vaccine
Rejecting sharp criticism from U.S. government scientists, AstraZeneca said Wednesday night that its Covid-19 vaccine was 76% effective at reducing the risk of symptomatic Covid-19, and 100% effective against severe disease, in a new analysis of its large U.S.-based clinical trial. Those estimates were just a few percentage points lower than much more sparse results the company released Monday from an earlier analysis of the study, despite dramatic statements from government scientists that AstraZeneca's initial release may have used "outdated information" that could have been overly favorable. (Herper, 3/24) USA Today: AstraZeneca COVID Vaccine 76% Effective, Not 79%, Updated Data Shows
The updated information, which included 190 symptomatic cases, showed only a slightly different picture. The vaccine prevented 76% of cases of symptomatic disease two weeks after the second dose, as well as all severe disease and hospitalizations, according to the updated data. It was 85% effective against symptomatic COVID-19 in trial volunteers aged 65 and over, according to the new data, instead of the 80% reported earlier. (Weintraub, 3/24) The New York Times: AstraZeneca, After Rebuke, Releases New Data Supporting Its Vaccine
The new results strengthen the scientific case for the embattled vaccine. But they may not repair the damage to AstraZeneca's credibility after U.S. health officials and independent monitors issued an extraordinary rebuke of the company for not counting some Covid-19 cases when it announced its initial findings this week. (Robbins and Mueller, 3/25) In related news — Nature: What Scientists Do And Don't Know About The Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID Vaccine
The road keeps getting bumpier for a vaccine that most researchers say is safe and effective and has huge potential to protect large swathes of the world's population. ... Amid the uncertainty, Nature looks at everything we do and don't know about the AstraZeneca vaccine. (Mallapaty and Callaway, 3/24) Reuters: Canada Says AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine Safe, But Adds Blood Clot Warning
Canada's health department on Wednesday continues to back AstraZeneca Plc's COVID-19 vaccine even as it updated its label to provide information on rare blood clots associated with a low platelet count following an immunization shot. Health Canada said it has not received any reports of these blood clots to date. Canada, which is using AstraZeneca doses manufactured at the Serum Institute of India, has received 500,000 Covishield doses and expects to get 1.5 million more by May. (3/25) Rachel Levine Confirmed As Assistant Secretary For Health In Historic Vote It was the first Senate confirmation -- by 52-48 with two Republicans joining all Democrats and Independents -- of an openly transgender official. Dr. Rachel Levine most recently served as Pennsylvania's secretary of health. The Washington Post: Senate Confirms Rachel Levine, Historic Transgender Nominee, As Assistant Health Secretary
The Senate on Wednesday voted 52 to 48 to confirm Rachel Levine as the nation's assistant secretary for health, making her the highest-ranking openly transgender official in U.S. history. All Democrats and independents voted to support Levine, with Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) crossing the aisle to support her, prompting cheers from advocates who called the vote a breakthrough. (Diamond and Schmidt, 3/24) NPR: Rachel Levine Makes History As 1st Openly Trans Federal Official Confirmed By Senate
Levine was previously Pennsylvania's secretary of health, where she led the commonwealth's COVID-19 response. ... Levine began her medical career as a pediatrician at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, and she is a professor at the Penn State College of Medicine, where she teaches on topics such as adolescent medicine, eating disorders and transgender medicine. She is a graduate of Harvard College and the Tulane University School of Medicine. (Wamsley, 3/24) Nevada Appeal: Biden Cabinet Member Stumps For Pandemic Aid, Obamacare In Carson City
In his first trip since being confirmed, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra visited Nevada on Tuesday to talk up the Affordable Care Act and efforts underway to expand coverage and reduce the cost of health care. The secretary is one of several surrogates that President Joe Biden dispatched to drum up support for his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, which includes funding for people who lost health care coverage amid the pandemic. The package builds on the Affordable Care Act by expanding tax credits and subsidies to lower health care costs. "I hope Nevadans take full advantage of what it does to help middle class families on the edge" during the pandemic, he said. (Metz, 3/24) Axios: Former Aides To New Biden Cabinet Members Cash In On Lobbying Gigs
A handful of former aides to Biden Cabinet members have picked up new lobbying businesses in recent weeks as their former bosses approached or secured Senate confirmation, records show. ... On Tuesday, within days of Xavier Becerra's confirmation as secretary of Health and Human Services, lobbying firm Ferox Strategies announced it had hired his former chief of staff. Debra Dixon, who led Becerra's House office, registered to represent three new clients for the firm, including pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly. (Markay, 3/24) In other updates from the Biden administration — NBC News: Biden To Direct $100 Million To Medical Support Network Key To Vaccine Strategy
President Joe Biden plans to make the country's biggest investment ever in an all-volunteer army of doctors, nurses and medical support teams that has been a pillar of his strategy to accelerate the pace of Covid-19 vaccinations in the U.S., two administration officials said. Biden plans to direct $100 million from the recently enacted $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan to bolster the Medical Reserve Corps. Created shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the corps is a network of about 200,000 health professionals who can rapidly deploy to respond to public health emergencies. (Przybyla, 3/25) WMFE: Explaining The American Rescue Plan's $3.5B Incentive To Expand Medicaid In Florida
Democrats are using the 11th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act to renew calls to expand Medicaid in Florida. The ACA originally called on states to expand Medicaid to all adults up to 133 percent of the federal poverty line. But Florida is one of 14 states that didn't expand Medicaid. (Aboraya, 3/24) Former Vaccine Czar Slaoui Removed From Board Due To Sexual Harassment Charges Moncef Slaoui, who led Operation Warp Speed during the Trump administration, was fired from the Galvani Bioelectronics board of directors after it investigated and substantiated allegations of sexual harassment dating back several years. Stat: Moncef Slaoui, Former Head Of Operation Warp Speed, Fired From Company Board Over Sexual Harassment Allegations
Moncef Slaoui, the former scientific director of Covid-19 vaccine development efforts at Operation Warp Speed, was fired from the board of directors of Galvani, a joint venture between Verily and the drug giant GlaxoSmithKline, over allegations of sexual harassment, GSK said Wednesday... In a statement, GSK said that it was first made aware of the allegations in a letter in February. It initiated an investigation by an external law firm, Morgan Lewis. The company said the investigation "substantiated the allegations and is ongoing." (Herper, 3/24) Politico: Trump Vaccine Chief Slaoui Fired From Pharma Board Over Sexual Harassment Allegations
GlaxoSmithKline announced Wednesday that Moncef Slaoui, who led the Trump administration's coronavirus vaccine accelerator, was terminated from the board of directors of Galvani Bioelectronics, a GSK joint venture, following sexual harassment allegations. The company received a letter in February detailing sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct allegations against Slaoui that date back several years, to when he led GSK's vaccine division, CEO Emma Walmsley said in an internal memo to staff. GSK enlisted an outside law firm to look into the accusations. (Owermohle, 3/24) In other news related to the Trump administration — CNN: Hospital Official Resigns After Covid-19 Vaccines Were Improperly Distributed At Trump Tower In Chicago
The Board of Trustees for Loretto Hospital accepted the resignation of its COO and CFO Dr. Anosh Ahmed on Wednesday following a discovery that the hospital improperly distributed the Covid-19 vaccine at Trump Tower in downtown Chicago. The news comes just days after the city's Department of Health announced it is withholding additional first doses of Covid-19 vaccines from the hospital, which is in a predominantly Black community in zip codes hardest hit by the virus. (Broaddus, 3/25) Nearly 2,900 Migrant Minors Test Positive For Coronavirus Over One Year Data on covid infections in migrant children detained in government shelters include 300 currently in the system. Elsewhere, figures show hospitalizations for older citizens are falling and Congress begins to plan what to do if a future pandemic strikes. Axios: Hundreds Of Migrant Kids With Positive COVID-19 Tests Held In Shelters
Nearly 2,900 unaccompanied minors tested positive for COVID-19 on arrival at U.S. government shelters over the past year — including around 300 currently in the system — a Department of Health and Human Services official tells Axios. The numbers highlight the staggering challenges in trying to manage a child migration crisis during a pandemic, while weighing human rights and child welfare concerns against immigration laws. (Kight, 3/24) In other news about the spread of the coronavirus — Roll Call: Fauci: US May 'Turn The Corner' On Virus, But Spring Break Poses Big Risks
White House officials expressed optimism Wednesday about the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations while also voicing worries that partying on spring break at sunny tourist destinations could fuel outbreaks. "I'm often asked, 'Are we turning the corner?' My response is really more like, 'We are at the corner. Whether or not we turn the corner remains to be seen," White House senior medical adviser Anthony Fauci said at a press briefing. "We do have a lot of challenges in front of us with regard to the high level of daily infections." (Kopp, 3/24) The Hill: US Records Over 30M Coronavirus Cases Amid Vaccination Effort
The U.S. on Wednesday surpassed 30 million cases of COVID-19, highlighting the continued threat of the virus even as the country makes progress on vaccinations. While new cases per day have decreased significantly from their peak in January, positivity totals remain high, at around 55,000 cases per day. As more vulnerable people get vaccinated, the number of deaths is declining, but there are still about 1,000 people dying from the virus every day. (Sullivan, 3/24) The New York Times: As Virus Cases Plateau Nationally, Michigan's Rapid Surge Worries Experts
In a sea of heartening news about the U.S. battle against the coronavirus, some experts are casting worried glances at a cloud on the horizon: Michigan, where new cases and hospitalizations are rising with alarming speed. The seven-day average of new cases has more than doubled in the last two weeks and tripled in the last month, by far the nation's fastest rate of growth. The average for hospitalizations has grown 55 percent in the past two weeks.Michigan is now reporting more new cases each day, relative to the size of its population, than any state except New Jersey. (Wines, 3/24) Axios: CDC Data Shows COVID-19 Hospitalizations For Older Adults Are Declining
Older adults' share of coronavirus hospitalizations is shrinking, per the CDC's COVID-NET, a surveillance network representing about 10% of the U.S. population. Americans 65 and older are significantly more likely to be vaccinated than younger Americans. Their shrinking share of hospitalizations is yet another suggestion that the vaccination effort is working. (Owens, 3/24) Also — CNN: Counties With More Asian, Black Or Hispanic Residents Had Higher Number Of Covid-19 Cases Earlier In The Pandemic, CDC Says
Counties in the United States with large Black, Asian and Hispanic populations were hit harder by Covid-19 in the early months of the pandemic, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a new study published Wednesday, CDC researchers said more than a quarter of counties with large Asian or Black populations reported a high Covid-19 incidence rate in the first two weeks of April last year. The CDC defines high incidence as more than 100 new Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the total population. (McPhillips, 3/24) Stat: Covid Isn't Over, But Congress Is Starting Prep For The Next Pandemic
Congress, in a rare show of bipartisanship, is gearing up to try to prevent the next pandemic. Already, a duo of powerful senators has pledged, publicly, to work together on legislation that will "make sure nothing like [Covid-19] ever happens again," as the influential Democratic Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.) put it. (Cohrs, 3/25) Carcinogenic Benzene Found In Some Anti-Covid Hand Sanitizers In other news, a study again shines a positive spotlight on remdesivir as a covid treatment; hospitals in Seattle and Colorado plan to treat children with covid-induced anosmia; and worries emerge about the pandemic's impact on STIs. Bloomberg: Carcinogen Found In Hand Sanitizers That Plugged Covid Gap
Some widely available hand sanitizers that American consumers snapped up last year to ward off coronavirus infection contain high levels of a chemical known to cause cancer, a testing firm's analysis found. An assortment of hand cleaners that flooded into the market after mainstays disappeared from retail outlets contain high levels of benzene, according to Valisure, a New Haven, Connecticut-based online pharmacy that tests products for quality and consistency. (Edney, 3/24) In other research — CIDRAP: Remdesivir Linked With COVID-19 Clinical Improvement And Safety
Remdesivir treatment of hospitalized patients with noncritical COVID-19 is associated with better clinical improvement, shorter recovery and hospital stays, and safety, according to a meta-analysis of five randomized clinical trials published today in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. No significant association was found in regards to mortality. The studies covered 13,544 adult patients from at least 30 countries, of which 391 received a 5-day regimen and 3,839 received a 10-day regimen. Of the studies, which were published from Jan 1 to Nov 18, 2020, three were open-label, and two were double-blind. (3/24) Stat: A 'Conditional' EUA For A CytoDyn Covid Treatment? No Such Thing Exists
Speaking Monday night to investors on a conference call, CytoDyn CEO Nader Pourhassan said the company had requested a "conditional" emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for an experimental Covid-19 antibody treatment, despite its failure in a late-stage clinical trial. But a "conditional" EUA — as described by CytoDyn's CEO — does not exist. (Feuerstein, 3/24) KHN: Nosing In On Kids Who Had Covid And Lost Their Sense Of Smell
Orange. Eucalyptus. Lavender. Peppermint. Doctors at Children's Hospital Colorado and Seattle Children's Hospital will use scents like these to treat children who lost their sense of smell to covid-19. Parents will attend clinics and go home with a set of essential oils for their child to sniff twice a day for three months. Clinicians will check their progress monthly. The Smell Disturbance Clinic at Children's Hospital Colorado was approved to open March 10. So far, five children have been screened and one enrolled. Seattle Children's expects to open its program this spring. (Heredia Rodriguez, 3/25) Also — Roll Call: Pandemic Adds Hurdles For Sexually Transmitted Disease Reduction
The pandemic's stress on the nation's health system has amplified challenges in rising rates of sexually transmitted infections, which have been overlooked because of a lack of funding and personnel in the past year. The new challenges in preventing the spread of STIs come as contact tracers were shifted to work on COVID-19 prevention. STI clinics also rely on local funding, which was cut in many places during the economic downturn. Meanwhile, testing supplies remain in shortage. (Raman, 3/24) Health Experts Say America Needs More Rapid, Cheap Covid Tests Meanwhile, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, is facing scrutiny for reportedly giving family members priority for covid testing last year. Axios: U.S. Needs To Expand Rapid COVID-19 Testing, Experts Say
The U.S. needs to ramp up the use of rapid COVID-19 testing in order to curb the pandemic and prepare for reopening, two public health experts said on Wednesday during an Axios virtual event. Experts warn that vaccinations likely do not provide long-term immunity and that the pandemic is far from over. Jennifer Nuzzo of Johns Hopkins, and Michael Mina of Harvard's Kennedy School of Public Health, say mass testing will be imperative to tracking outbreaks and containing the virus in the coming months. (Saric, 3/24) Politico: Vaccines Alone Won't End Covid. Biden's New Testing Strategy Could Help Finish The Job
The Biden administration is trying to transform the United States' Covid-19 testing system — shifting focus from diagnosing people who suspect they're infected to regularly screening millions of Americans at school or work. The White House announced last week that it would spend $10 billion on screening programs for K-12 students as part of a broader national effort to return kids to classrooms. The administration has also inked deals with several manufacturers of rapid tests designed for at-home use. The moves come as demand for testing is dropping nationwide, and both lawmakers and the public are focused on the vaccine rollout. (Lim, 3/24) The New York Times: Businesses May Benefit From Sharing Covid Testing Resources, Study Suggests
Last year, when the National Football League decided to stage its season in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, it went all-in on testing. The league tested all players and personnel before they reported for summer training camp, and continued near-daily testing in the months that followed. Between Aug. 1 and the Super Bowl in early February, the N.F.L. administered almost one million tests to players and staff.Many other organizations have sought safety in mass testing. The University of Illinois is testing its students, faculty and staff twice a week and has conducted more than 1.6 million tests since July. Major corporations, from Amazon to Tyson Foods, have rolled out extensive testing programs for their own employees. Now, a new analysis suggests that schools, businesses and other organizations that want to keep themselves safe should think beyond strictly themselves. (Anthes, 3/24) And the governor of New York faces criticism over covid tests for his family — The Hill: Cuomo Family Members Received Special Priority For COVID-19 Testing: Report
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's (D) family members and other people with ties to the administration received priority COVID-19 testing last year, the Albany Times Union reported on Wednesday. Three people with direct knowledge of the matter told the Times Union that Cuomo and Health Commissioner Howard Zucker instructed high-level officials at the New York State Department of Health to conduct prioritized testing for these individuals. Cuomo's brother, mother and at least one of his sisters were among those tested by the officials. (Coleman, 3/24) Feds And Pharma Make Moves To Boost Vaccine Supply, Distribution The FDA authorized a new manufacturer to help Johnson & Johnson with its vaccine production. Meanwhile, other contractors aiding Moderna and Pfizer's efforts are cashing in. Politico: FDA Authorizes J&J Partner To Help With Vaccine Production
A contract manufacturer helping to produce Johnson & Johnson's coronavirus vaccine has begun delivering millions of doses after the Food and Drug Administration cleared them for emergency use late Tuesday. Catalent, a "fill-finish" facility that bottles vaccines, revealed in a tweet that FDA had authorized its Bloomington, Ind., factory to begin shipping out shots. The company started sending out vaccine immediately after receiving permission from FDA, said one person familiar with the situation. (Owermohle, Roubein and Banco, 3/24) Stat: Companies Helping Big Covid-19 Vaccine Makers Are Getting Rich
Pfizer and Moderna aren't the only vaccine money-makers. Much of the revenue and profits from Covid-19 vaccines are flowing behind the scenes, going to the contract manufacturers and clinical-trial organizers that turn the shots from lab-bench theory to mass-produced reality. (Goldhill, 3/25) CNN: US Will See 27 Million Doses Of Covid-19 Vaccine This Week, White House Says
A total of 27 million Covid-19 vaccine doses will be distributed across the United States this week, the White House said Wednesday. So far about a third of US adults -- around 84 million -- have received at least one vaccination dose. (Howard, 3/24) WLRN 91.3 FM: More Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccines Arrive In Florida
Florida has received an unexpected delivery of 42,000 doses of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, boosting the state's immunization efforts, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday. The shots will be used to vaccinate homebound seniors and supply walk-up vaccine clinics. (3/24) USA Today: Dentists To Give COVID Vaccines To Help Americans Get Vaccinated
Like other dentists, A.J. Acierno is experienced in complex medical procedures and comfortable with oral injections. So he's more than capable of delivering basic COVID-19 shots to the upper arms of patients, he says. And now that the Biden administration is letting dentists and dental students administer vaccines, Americans may now be able to get an inoculation against the deadly virus the next time they get a tooth cleaning. (Bomey, 3/25) State Attorneys Pressure Facebook, Twitter To Crush Covid Misinformation NPR reports that social media content with covid misinformation is among the most highly engaged-with posts; meanwhile, Mississippi moves to correct "misleading" vaccine information found in official texts. The Hill: 12 State Attorneys General Urge Facebook, Twitter To Do More On Vaccine Misinformation
A group of 12 state attorneys general sent a letter to Facebook and Twitter on Wednesday urging them to more aggressively enforce platform policies against coronavirus vaccine misinformation. Led by Connecticut Attorney General William Tong (D), the group argues that content on the social media sites are increasing vaccine hesitancy, which will "slow economic recovery and, more importantly, ultimately cause even more unnecessary deaths." (Mills Rodrigo, 3/24) NPR: Misleading Facts Evade Social Media Moderation, Fuel Covid Misinformation
The odds of dying after getting a Covid-19 vaccine are virtually non-existent. According to recent data from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, you're three times more likely to get struck by lightning. But you might not know that from looking at your social media feed. A new NPR analysis finds that articles connecting vaccines and death have been among the most highly-engaged-with content online this year, going viral in a way that could hinder people's ability to judge the true risk in getting a shot. (Parks, 3/25) The New York Times: Mississippi Will Remove 'Misleading' Language About Covid-19 Vaccine
Bobby Wayne, a retired reverend with prostate cancer and leukemia, had spent a week calling health agencies around his county in Mississippi, trying to find out where to get the Covid-19 vaccine. But when Mr. Wayne, 64, called the state's hotline on Monday, he said an operator, whose job was to help residents schedule vaccine appointments, gave him unnerving and incorrect information. "This is the way she put it to me: They had no documentation that the vaccine was effective," Mr. Wayne said. "And then she asked me did I still want to take it." (Cramer, 3/24) And mistrust in the vaccines still runs rampant — Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Owner Giving Away Free Gym Memberships For Those Who Don't Get Covid Vaccine
Despite President Joe Biden recently announcing that 100 million Americans are now vaccinated, there are still some who do not subscribe to the idea of a vaccine ensuring one is COVID-19 free. Ian Smith, owner of The Atilis Gym, is one of those with doubts. He recently decided to offer an incentive at his Bellmawr, New Jersey, fitness center for those who share his sentiments about the various COVID-19 vaccinations. After hearing about the offer national doughnut chain Krispy Kreme issued of free doughnuts to vaccinated customers, Smith is giving away a similar freebie at his gym for those who decline the vaccine. (Toone, 3/24) Houston Chronicle: White Republicans Refuse To Get The COVID-19 Vaccine More Than Any Other Demographic Group In Texas
Sam Webb says he's not against vaccines. His kids are up to date on their vaccines for school, and he got a flu shot a few years ago, the Weatherford truck driver said. But he won't be getting a COVID-19 shot. Webb, a former Army medic, is among the thousands of Republicans in Texas and across the country who say they do not trust COVID-19 vaccines and will refuse to get one — even as public health experts and elected leaders say mass vaccinations are the key to a return to normalcy from the pandemic that has plagued the nation for a year. (Oxner, 3/24) KHN: Inmates' Distrust Of Prison Health Care Fuels Distrust Of Covid Vaccines
One November night in a Missouri prison, Charles Graham woke his cellmate of more than a dozen years, Frank Flanders, saying he couldn't breathe. Flanders pressed the call button. No one answered, so he kicked the door until a guard came. Flanders, who recalled the incident during a phone interview, said he helped Graham, 61, get into a wheelchair so staff members could take him for a medical exam. Both inmates were then moved into a covid-19 quarantine unit. In the ensuing days, Flanders noticed the veins in Graham's legs bulging, so he put towels in a crockpot of water and placed hot compresses on his legs. When Graham's oxygen levels dropped dangerously low two days later, prison staff members took him to the hospital. (Berger, 3/25) KHN: Stop Blaming Tuskegee, Critics Say. It's Not An 'Excuse' For Current Medical Racism
For months, journalists, politicians and health officials — including New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Dr. Anthony Fauci — have invoked the infamous Tuskegee syphilis study to explain why Black Americans are more hesitant than white Americans to get the coronavirus vaccine. "It's 'Oh, Tuskegee, Tuskegee, Tuskegee,' and it's mentioned every single time," said Karen Lincoln, a professor of social work at the University of Southern California and founder of Advocates for African American Elders. "We make these assumptions that it's Tuskegee. We don't ask people." (Dembosky, 3/25) At Least 1 Covid Shot Has Been Given To 7 In 10 Elderly Americans In other news, research says that post-vaccine covid infection risks are very low in medical workers; Oregon's mixup will allow 11,000 residents to officially jump the vaccine line, and CNN asks if covid line-jumping is ever OK. Axios: 7 Out Of 10 Elderly Americans Have Had At Least One Dose Of COVID-19 Vaccine
Seven out of 10 people across the U.S. ages 65 and older — totaling 38 million — have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Older adults are among the most vulnerable to the virus and those in long-term care facilities have been recommended for priority vaccinations. (King, 3/24) The Oregonian: Oregon Mistakenly OKs COVID-19 Vaccine For 11,000 People Not Eligible Until April 19
About 11,000 Oregonians ineligible for COVID-19 vaccines until April 19 will be granted appointments ahead of schedule because of a mistake by the Oregon Health Authority. State officials are responsible for running an online registration system for appointments at the Oregon Convention Center, the largest vaccination site in Oregon. They inadvertently passed along ineligible names this week to the clinic operators, who notified people via email in Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas and Columbia counties they'd soon be able to schedule appointments. (Schmidt, 3/24) The Philadelphia Inquirer: Pa. House Passes Bill To Let Philly Suburbs Run Their Own Mass Vaccine Clinics, A Bipartisan Rebuke Of The State's Rollout
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted Wednesday to require the Department of Health to retool its coronavirus vaccine rollout and let Philadelphia's suburbs run their own mass clinics. The bill would require the Department of Health to detail plans for providing "sufficient doses" of vaccine to counties that have requested more doses, as the city's collar counties have done. And it would kill the state's plan to set up two Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency mass vaccination clinics in the Southeast, instead allowing county health departments to distribute the shots. (McDaniel and McCarthy, 3/24) CNN: Is It Ever OK To Jump The Vaccine Line? We Asked An Ethicist
Months before the US Food and Drug Administration even authorized the first Covid-19 vaccine, there were many conversations and debates going on about who should be put at the front of the line to get it. Different advisory panels and patient advocacy groups came out with suggested recommendations. Eventually, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) -- the group that actually develops recommendations for vaccine usage -- issued its guidelines. (Gupta, 3/24) CNN: What Parents Should Do If They're Vaccinated But Kids Aren't — Dr. Wen's Advice
Between 2 million and 3 million Covid-19 vaccines are administered in the United States every day. That means many parents are being vaccinated but not their kids -- since the vaccine is not yet authorized for children under 16. While many parents can breathe a sigh of relief with their own vaccinations, it may be hard to feel really free as long as their children are unvaccinated. It's children who need to play on the playground, socialize with classmates and friends, and hang out without parents worrying all the time. (Hetter, 3/25) CIDRAP: Risk Of COVID Very Low In Vaccinated Medical Workers: Study
COVID-19 infection was very low in a cohort of vaccinated California healthcare workers (HCWs) amid a surge of new cases, according to a research letter yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine. University of California researchers evaluated COVID-19 infection rates in 36,659 HCWs on the San Diego and Los Angeles campuses vaccinated with at least one dose of the Moderna or Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine from Dec 16, 2020, to Feb 9, 2021. In that timeframe, 28,184 (77%) received the second dose of vaccine. (Van Beusekom, 3/24) Uber Expands Its Medication Delivery Business In a new deal with ScriptDrop, Uber will become the default prescription drug delivery service for thousands of pharmacies and health systems in 37 states, Stat reports. Other health industry news reports on Cardinal Health, Pfizer and struggling hospitals. Stat: With Amazon And Ro On Its Heels, Uber Expands Prescription Delivery
After steering into prescription delivery in two cities last summer with digital pharmacy startup NimbleRx, ride-hailing giant Uber hitched itself a new and more expansive ride with medication delivery service ScriptDrop on Wednesday. The deal makes Uber the default delivery app for thousands of pharmacies and health systems in 37 states. It also comes at a critical time for the digital pharmacy sector, which has boomed alongside virtual care amid the pandemic. (Brodwin, 3/24) Axios: Hospitals Still In "Survival Mode," Inspector General Report Finds
A year into the pandemic, hospitals say they're still in "survival mode," according to a new report from the Health and Human Services Department's inspector general. Health care workers have had to deal with long hours, overwhelming patient volumes and supply shortages — all on top of a high risk of infection, and the isolation that we've all experienced. (Fernandez, 3/25) The Wall Street Journal: Cardinal Health, FourKites Target Deeper View Of Medical Supply Chain
When Covid-19 infections surged in New York last spring, a rush on medical supplies caught healthcare providers off guard, challenging inventory and tracking systems built for more predictable demand. To cope with that volatility, more manufacturers and suppliers are scaling up the use of tracking technology to ensure critical medical shipments arrive on time and intact. Sophisticated devices that log a shipment's location and temperature in real time have become essential tools in the rush to distribute fragile Covid-19 vaccine shots, for example, to pandemic-weary populations. (Smith, 3/24) In pharmaceutical news — Stat: Pfizer Hopes For Happy Ending For Osteoarthritis Drug With Troubled History
For more than a decade, Pfizer (PFE) has run dozens of trials in hopes of eventually marketing a treatment for osteoarthritic pain, but critics argue the Food and Drug Administration would be mistaken to approve the drug over concerns it could do more harm than good. The debate has emerged as the agency hosts a two-day meeting of experts, which began on Wednesday morning, to assess tanezumab. (Silverman, 3/24) CDC Refuses Cruise Industry Request To Set Sail Sooner Than November As the travel industry tries to recover from the pandemic, Southwest Airlines is returning to its normal pre-covid boarding system. In other news, dentists report an uptick in damaged teeth and a new study warns against too much high-intensity exercise. Atlanta Journal-Constitution: CDC Rejects Cruise Industry Request To Return To Seas
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has rejected a request by the cruise industry to immediately lift a no-sail order that would have allowed ships to resume business in U.S. waters by July, months ahead of a previously announced November return date. The coronavirus pandemic continues to keep ships docked despite the fact that other companies around the world have resumed sailings with extensive health safety measures in place. (Lee, 3/24) Dallas Morning News: Southwest Airlines Brings Back Its Pre-Pandemic Boarding Process
Masks are still required on all flights, but Southwest Airlines is restoring some normalcy to flying in the way it boards planes and what it serves in the air. Dallas-based Southwest has returned to its normal boarding procedure, bringing on passengers in groups of 30. During the pandemic, it loaded passengers 10 at a time to give more space for social distancing. (Arnold, 3/24) In other public health news — The Hill: Researchers Produce Nose-Only COVID-19 Masks To Wear While Eating Or Drinking
Researchers in Mexico have developed a nose-only COVID-19 mask designed for people to wear while eating and drinking. The mask is worn similarly to a typical mask with straps behind the ears but the fabric solely covers the nasal area instead of both the nose and mouth. The invention is featured in a Reuters video that was circulated on Wednesday. The video shows a man and a woman sitting down to eat at the same table and taking off their regular masks to reveal that they are also wearing the nose-only variations. The pair then eat and drink while wearing nose-only masks. (Coleman, 3/24) The Hill: Dentists Report Increased Chipped, Cracked Teeth Amid Pandemic Stress
Stress-related dental issues including chipped and cracked teeth are on the rise amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey from the American Dental Association (ADA) found. In the study posted on the ADA's website this month, more than 7 in 10 dentists said they had seen an increased number of patients with tooth damage stemming from stress-related conditions. The study reviewed data from 2,299 physicians. (Bowden, 3/24) The New York Times: Too Much High-Intensity Exercise May Be Bad For Your Health
If high-intensity exercise is good for us, is more necessarily better? Maybe not, according to an admonitory new study of the molecular effects of high-intensity interval training, also known as HIIT. In the study, people who began working out strenuously almost every day developed sudden and severe declines in the function of their mitochondria, which are the energy powerhouses inside of cells, along with incipient signs of blood sugar dysfunction. (Reynolds, 3/24) CNN: This New Artificial Heart Responds To The Patient
Heart disease is the world's biggest killer, and around one in five people in developed countries will suffer heart failure in their lifetime.In the worst cases, the only treatment is a transplant. But with more hearts failing than being donated, patients can spend years on a waiting list. To help people awaiting a transplant, French company Carmat has developed a "total artificial heart" -- a device to replace the whole heart until a donor can be found. (Bailey, 3/25) Stat: Universities Launch Opioid Litigation Archive To 'Ensure History Doesn't Repeat Itself'
After two decades in which opioid overdoses claimed more than 400,000 lives in the U.S., two universities have launched an online archive to store documents generated by the many lawsuits filed against drug companies for their role in creating the unprecedented societal crisis. The goal of the Opioid Industry Documents Archive is to provide transparency into the strategies that were pursued by companies to increase sales of the painkillers — which led to countless cases of opioid use disorder, overdoses, and deaths — in order to prevent a similar episode from occurring again. (Silverman, 3/24) Oregon Report Slams State Officials For Covid Deaths At Nursing Homes Lack of preparation before the pandemic led to unnecessary deaths while state agencies were building a new bureaucracy virtually from the ground up, auditors found. The Oregonian: Oregon Could Have Prevented Some Coronavirus Deaths In Senior Care, Auditors Say
State health officials' failure to adequately prepare for the pandemic likely contributed to some senior care home coronavirus deaths early in the pandemic, state auditors said in a critical, wide-ranging report released Wednesday. The two state agencies responsible for responding to the pandemic wasted "valuable time" in the first few months after Oregon's first case as they tried to figure out how to work together, the Secretary of State Oregon Audits Division found. (Zarkhin, 3/24) In other news about long-term care facilities — CNN: Advocates For The Elderly Call On The Biden Administration To Do Much More To Vaccinate Seniors And Fight Covid-19
In early April, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention program that delivered Covid-19 vaccines to long-term care facilities should be complete. With cases dropping faster than among the general public, the CDC calls the program a real success, but advocates are concerned about what happens when it ends. (Christensen, 3/24) WLRN 91.3 FM: Florida Rescinds Nursing Home Emergency Visitation Orders
Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration has swept away four emergency orders dealing with visitors to nursing homes, just days before the Legislature is poised to pass a bill that would help shield the facilities from lawsuits associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The administration has told the nursing-home industry to abide by recently issued federal guidelines that allow visitors to touch fully vaccinated residents. (Sexton, 3/24) AP: Lawmakers: Require Nursing Homes To Disclose Vaccine Data
Nursing homes have to publicly disclose their vaccination rates for flu and pneumonia but there's no similar mandate for COVID-19 shots, even though the steepest toll from the virus has been among residents of long-term care facilities. Now lawmakers of both parties are urging the Biden administration to require disclosure of coronavirus vaccination rates for residents and staff, and to make it easy for family members, advocacy groups and researchers to access such potentially critical details. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 3/25) Georgia Health News: Cameras In Nursing Homes: Bill Advances After Close Vote
A Senate health committee narrowly passed a bill Tuesday that promotes the use of cameras in rooms of residents of long-term care facilities to prevent neglect or abuse. The split vote reflected the panel's vigorous debate over the differences between cameras that are hidden, and those that would be visible and known to the facility and its staff. (Miller, 3/24) Virginia Abolishes 'Fundamentally Flawed' Death Penalty Virginia's Gov. Ralph Northam signed the law Wednesday, making it the first Southern state to ban capital punishment. Elsewhere, New York and Delaware near deals to allow legalized marijuana sales. NBC News: Virginia Becomes 1st Southern State To Abolish Death Penalty As Governor Signs Law
Gov. Ralph Northam on Wednesday signed legislation to officially abolish the death penalty in Virginia, making it the first Southern state to ban capital punishment. "Justice and punishment are not always the same thing, that is too clearly evident in 400 years of the death penalty in Virginia," Northam, a Democrat, said during remarks ahead of signing the legislation, saying that it is both the right and the moral thing to do. (Golden and Bennett, 3/24) In news about marijuana legalization — The Wall Street Journal: New York Lawmakers Reach Deal To Legalize Marijuana
After years of false starts, New York state lawmakers said Wednesday that they had reached an agreement to legalize the sale of marijuana for recreational use by adults starting next year. State Sen. Liz Krueger said lawmakers were finalizing a bill that would create a new state regulator for cannabis products and decriminalize the possession of up to three ounces of marijuana. New Yorkers will be allowed to cultivate marijuana for personal use and the state will study a new system for determining whether drivers are inebriated because of marijuana use, she said. (Vielkind, 3/24) AP: Delaware Marijuana Legalization Bill Clears House Committee
A bill legalizing recreational marijuana use by adults in Delaware cleared its first legislative hurdle Wednesday as a Democratic-led committee voted along party lines, with one lone GOP vote, to send the measure to the House floor. The bill creates a state-controlled and licensed pot industry that supporters say will eliminate the black market while creating jobs and boosting the state's tax coffers. While the proposal has significant support among Democratic lawmakers, Democratic Gov. John Carney has expressed concerns about legalization. (Chase, 3/24) In other state news — AP: Cooper Seeks Big Debt Package, Pay Hikes, Medicaid Expansion
North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper on Wednesday proposed a spending and borrowing spree by state government that he said is critical to fulfilling education, health care and infrastructure demands that were evident before the pandemic but have been exacerbated since. With state coffers filled with unspent funds and $5 billion of additional federal coronavirus relief dollars arriving, Cooper pitched a two-year state budget plan he said is affordable and ensures North Carolina continues a vigorous recovery from the COVID-19 recession. (Robertson, 3/25) WLRN 91.3 FM: Florida House Offers Plan To Boost Maternal Health
Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls on Tuesday threw his support behind a proposal to allow women to maintain Medicaid benefits for a year after they have babies --- a bit of turnabout for the Republican-controlled Legislature. Sprowls, flanked by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, was careful not to use the word "expansion" while discussing the Medicaid plan. But he said he wants the House to spend an additional $98 million in state funds to draw down additional matching federal dollars. In all, the plan would provide $244 million for benefits, which also include mental health counseling. Under current law, many women lose their benefits 60 days after having children. (Sexton, 3/24) AP: People Downwind Of First Atomic Blasts Renew Push For U.S. Compensation
In the desert northeast of Las Vegas, residents living along the Nevada-Arizona border would gather on their front porches for bomb parties or ride horses into the fields to watch as the U.S. government conducted atomic tests during a Cold War-era race to build up the nation's nuclear arsenal. About 100 of those tests were aboveground, and U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton of Arizona testified during a congressional subcommittee hearing Wednesday that residents at the time marveled at the massive orange mushroom clouds billowing in the distance. (Bryan, 3/24) Boston Globe: After Decades Of Study, State Officials Link Drinking Water Contamination With Elevated Rates Of Childhood Cancer In Wilmington
In 2000, Greg Raso began to notice his 3-year-old daughter had become unusually lethargic and had small blood clots beneath her eyes. She was hospitalized with a common bacterial infection that rarely sickens people, and a few months later was diagnosed with leukemia. While undergoing chemotherapy during a two-month stay at Boston Children's Hospital, their daughter had a roommate who had also been diagnosed with cancer. The young girl, it turned out, also lived in Wilmington, a suburb north of Boston. (Abel, 3/24) Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Atlanta To Allow Outdoor Events With Under 2,000 People After May 15
The city of Atlanta will begin allowing outdoor events with under 2,000 people after May 15, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced Wednesday. Bottoms issued an executive order lifting the city's moratorium on permit applications for events like festivals and other large gatherings, though outdoor events for more than 2,000 people are still not allowed. The events must occur after May 15, and must observe COVID-19 safety guidelines, according to the mayor's order. (Capelouto, 3/24) Parents' Bereavement Leave For Miscarriages Now Law In New Zealand As the E.U. tries to improve its covid vaccine program, the bloc plans strict export controls. Elsewhere, Germany will fund vaccines for Holocaust survivors, and Brazil becomes the second country to pass 300,000 covid deaths, after the U.S. Axios: New Zealand Bereavement Leave For Miscarriages, Stillbirths Introduced
New Zealand's Parliament unanimously passed on Wednesday a law enabling parents who experience a miscarriage or stillbirth to take three days' paid bereavement leave. Ginny Andersen, the Member of Parliament from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's Labour Party who drafted the bill, noted NZ "may well be the first country" to pass such legislation, with the law applicable at any time of a pregnancy, per the New York Times. (Falconer, 3/25) In other global developments — AP: EU Moves Toward Stricter Export Controls For COVID-19 Shots
The European Union moved Wednesday toward stricter export controls for coronavirus vaccines, seeking to make sure its 27 nations have more COVID-19 shots to boost the bloc's flagging vaccine campaign amid a surge in new infections. The EU's executive Commission said on the eve of a summit of the EU's leaders that it has a plan to guarantee that more vaccines produced in the bloc are available for its 450 million citizens even if that comes at the cost of helping nations outside the bloc, most notably Britain. (Casert, 3/24) Politico: Italian Authorities Discover 29M Oxford/AstraZeneca Doses: La Stampa
Italian authorities have discovered 29 million doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine that had been stocked at a manufacturing site in the country, reported La Stampa on Wednesday. According to the newspaper, the doses likely come from AstraZeneca's Halix plant in the Netherlands, which hasn't yet been approved for EU production. La Stampa cites EU sources who say that those doses were originally destined to the U.K. But exports stopped after the bloc introduced a mechanism to restrict exports on vaccines. (Martuscelli, 3/24) AP: Germany Funds Vaccine Assistance For Holocaust Survivors
Germany has committed millions of dollars in extra funding to help ensure all Holocaust survivors are able to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, an organization that handles claims on behalf of Jewish victims said Wednesday. By virtue of their ages alone, survivors of the Holocaust are at higher risk of dying of COVID-19. Many suffer serious medical issues related to early childhood malnutrition and mistreatment at the hands of the Nazis during World War II. (Rising, 3/24) Axios: Brazil Second Country To Surpass 300,000 COVID Deaths
Brazil became on Wednesday the second country after the U.S. to surpass 300,000 COVID-19 deaths. The health ministry confirmed Wednesday another 2,009 Brazilians had died of the coronavirus, taking the total pandemic death toll to 300,685. Brazil's population is much smaller than the U.S., which reached the milestone on Dec. 14, 2020. (Falconer, 3/25) Research Roundup: Covid, Weight Loss, Hearing Loss, Sinusitis And More Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs. CIDRAP: COVID-19 Linked With Preeclampsia, Stillbirth, And More In Pregnant Women
Maternal COVID-19 infection is associated with pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia, preterm birth, and stillbirth, and the disease is particularly associated with conditions that risk maternal and neonatal death, according to a review of 42 studies. The study, published today in CMAJ, used unadjusted data covering 438,548 pregnant women from studies published through Jan 29. (3/19) ScienceDaily: Rare Genetic Variant Puts Some Younger Men At Risk Of Severe COVID-19
A study of young men with COVID-19 has revealed a genetic variant linked to disease severity. The discovery, published recently in eLife, means that men with severe disease could be genetically screened to identify who has the variant and may benefit from interferon treatment. For most people, COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, causes only mild or no symptoms. However, severe cases can rapidly progress towards respiratory distress syndrome. (3/23) New England Journal of Medicine: Once-Weekly Semaglutide In Adults With Overweight Or Obesity
Obesity is a global health challenge with few pharmacologic options. Whether adults with obesity can achieve weight loss with once-weekly semaglutide at a dose of 2.4 mg as an adjunct to lifestyle intervention has not been confirmed. In this double-blind trial, we enrolled 1961 adults with a body-mass index (the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) of 30 or greater (≥27 in persons with ≥1 weight-related coexisting condition), who did not have diabetes, and randomly assigned them, in a 2:1 ratio, to 68 weeks of treatment with once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide (at a dose of 2.4 mg) or placebo, plus lifestyle intervention. The coprimary end points were the percentage change in body weight and weight reduction of at least 5%. The primary estimand (a precise description of the treatment effect reflecting the objective of the clinical trial) assessed effects regardless of treatment discontinuation or rescue interventions. (Wilding et al, 3/18) The Lancet: Patterns Of Hearing Changes In Women And Men From Denarians To Nonagenarians
Hearing loss needs to be diagnosed and treated early, especially in older individuals, since presbycusis increases the risk of depression and dementia. However, standard data on hearing thresholds across the life-span in Japanese individuals are lacking. Methods: In a retrospective consecutive sample of 10681 native-Japanese speakers (37.3% men; 10–99 years; left-right hearing threshold difference of <15 dB for all tested pure tones; free of external, middle, or inner ear disease), we determined standard age-decade and sex-specific pure-tone air-conduction (125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, and 8000 Hz) hearing threshold norms. The main outcome measures were pure-tone averages for both ears by age-decade and sex. (Wasano et al, 3/24) CIDRAP: Trial Finds No Benefit From Additional Amoxicillin For Acute Sinusitis
The results of a randomized clinical trial indicate additional amoxicillin did not benefit adults receiving amoxicillin and clavulanate for acute sinusitis, researchers reported today in JAMA Network Open. In the double-blind, comparative effectiveness trial, adult patients at Albany Medical Center in New York who had symptoms of acute sinusitis were randomly allocated to two treatment groups: the standard treatment of 875 milligrams (mg) of amoxicillin and 125 mg of clavulanate plus a placebo tablet, or a high-dose treatment of 875 mg of amoxicillin and 125 mg of clavulanate plus 875 mg of amoxicillin twice a day for 7 days. The purpose was to replicate a previous trial in which an unplanned subgroup analysis had found that higher-dose amoxicillin might provide a benefit. (3/23) Jama Network: Unmet Need For Equipment To Help With Bathing And Toileting Among Older US Adults
How many older adults who need equipment to help with bathing and toileting do not have it? Findings In this nationally representative cohort study of 2614 adults 65 years or older, an estimated 42% of individuals who expressed or demonstrated diminished capability to bathe or toilet independently lacked grab bars or seats to help. This percentage represents 5 million individuals in the US with unmet need for equipment. (Lam et al, 3/22) ScienceDaily: Total Knee Replacement A Cost-Effective Treatment For Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis
Knee osteoarthritis is a painful condition that affects over 14 million U.S. adults, many of whom have extreme obesity, defined by body mass index (BMI) greater than 40kg/m2. Total knee replacement (TKR) is often recommended to treat advanced knee osteoarthritis, but surgeons may be hesitant to operate on patients with extreme obesity due to concerns about the increased risks of tissue infection, poor wound healing and higher risk of implant failure. Using an established, validated and widely published computer simulation called the Osteoarthritis Policy (OAPol) Model, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital, together with collaborators from Yale and Boston University Schools of Medicine, quantified the tradeoff between the benefits and adverse events, taking into consideration costs of forgoing versus pursuing TKR. They found that across older and younger age groups, TKR is a cost-effective treatment for these patients. Findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. (3/23) ScienceDaily: Do You Know The Way To Berkelium, Californium? Heavy Elements And A Really Powerful Microscope Help Scientists Map Uncharted Paths Toward New Materials And Cancer Therapies
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and UC Berkeley have demonstrated how a world-leading electron microscope can image actinide samples as small as a single nanogram (a billionth of a gram) -- a quantity that is several orders of magnitude less than required by conventional approaches. Their findings were recently reported in Nature Communications, and are especially significant for co-senior author Rebecca Abergel, whose work on chelators -- metal-binding molecules -- has resulted in new advances in cancer therapies, medical imaging, and medical countermeasures against nuclear threats, among others. Abergel is a faculty scientist who leads the Heavy Element Chemistry program in the Chemical Sciences Division at Berkeley Lab, and assistant professor in nuclear engineering at UC Berkeley. (3/24) Viewpoints: Are Covid Variants Limited?; Vaccine Passports Key To Resuming Normalcy Opinion writers weigh in on covid and vaccines. Scientific American: The Coronavirus Variants Don't Seem To Be Highly Variable So Far
No doubt you've heard about the novel coronavirus variants that are evolving around the world. There now appear to be more than a dozen versions of SARS-CoV-2, which are of varying degrees of concern because some are linked to increased infectivity and lethality while others are not. It's easy to be overwhelmed by this diversity and to fear that we'll never achieve herd immunity. Yet evidence is growing that these variants share similar combinations of mutations. This may not be the multifront war that many are dreading, with an infinite number of new viral versions. I am an evolutionary microbiologist who studies how bacteria and viruses adapt to new environments or hosts. Like many microbiologists, my colleagues and I have turned our attention to understanding how SARS-CoV-2 is evolving adaptations for reproducing and transmitting in humans. Our favorite laboratory method is experimental evolution, where we grow multiple populations of microbes started from the same strain under identical conditions for weeks or months. We study problems like how antibiotic resistance evolves and how infections become chronic. The power of this method is that using multiple populations allows us to "replay the tape of life" and study how repeatable and ultimately predictable evolution might be. (Vaughn Cooper, 3/24) Chicago Tribune: How To Get Back To Normal Faster? Vaccination Passports.
There's some scientific justification for using vaccine passports to allow vaccinated people — and only vaccinated people — back into restaurants, movie theaters and other indoor spaces. But so far, the Biden administration has declined to impose government standards for such certificates. Without a uniform standard, it may be hard for individual restaurants or other businesses to collect proof of vaccine status. This could hobble the reopening effort and slow the return to normal life. One major barrier is the ongoing communication problem in the U.S. Here, the public health community has chosen to advocate for blunt rules, rather than offer frank communication about relative risks. Experts have then blamed Americans for being too "individualistic" to follow the rules, even when those rules don't make much sense — such as closing public beaches or playgrounds. (Faye Flam, 3/24) Boston Globe: Why I'm Participating In Moderna's Teen COVID-19 Vaccine Trial
Undoubtedly, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought a myriad of changes to everyday life, from online school to our smiles being covered by masks. Like everyone, I miss pre-pandemic life. I miss going to school, as before, hugging my grandparents, and visiting cousins in distant states. I have looked forward to an escape from the pandemic through the long-awaited vaccine. After a friend of my mother's reached out with an article about UMass Medical Center becoming a site for Moderna's teen COVID-19 vaccine trial, I was eager to join. My mother asked if my sister Esme, 12, and I were interested in participating. For me, the answer was simple. (Zoe Campbell, 3/15) Bloomberg: Why Is AstraZeneca Making So Many Unforced Errors?
Why is AstraZeneca Plc making so many unforced errors in its attempt to distribute billions of doses of Covid vaccines to the world at minimal cost? Once the pandemic is under control, the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker should examine whether there's a problem with the way it makes decisions. AstraZeneca agreed in April to help develop, manufacture and distribute Oxford University's jab against Covid-19. It had no business in vaccines: The aim was to bring its resources to the pandemic fight on a non-profit basis. These assets include a global network and established capabilities in running large clinical trials. The outcome is millions of jabs administered within a year. However, the lack of vaccine expertise, an overconfidence in what the firm could achieve and a naivety about the politics of the task cannot be brushed aside. (Chris Hughes, 3/25) USA Today: Make COVID-19 Vaccinations Mandatory For Nursing Home Health Care Workers
Long-term care facilities have been one of the great success stories of vaccination for COVID-19. Rates of the disease in nursing homes have decreased by more than 80% since vaccination began. None the less, nearly a quarter of nursing home and assisted care facility staff have no plans to get the vaccine, according to a poll published this month. And unvaccinated health care workers present a risk to patients. As a doctor at a Pennsylvania facility, I see patients in nursing homes who are frail and some are on immunosuppressive agents. This means that the COVID-19 vaccines do not work as well in many of these individuals as they do in the general population. These individuals can become ill with severe disease even when vaccinated. This leads to important practical, and ethical, questions. (Neil Skolnik, 3/24) Dallas Morning News: The Vaccine Is Rolling Out To Dallas' Homeless Population. When Will It Reach The Homebound?
Dallas County's efforts to protect its most vulnerable residents from COVID-19 have focused on vaccinating people in minority, low-income neighborhoods. Early stumbles with the rollout were followed by ambitious measures to register people in targeted ZIP codes, with county officials even renting charter buses to drive residents from these areas to vaccination mega sites. Others who share a high risk of severe illness are trickier to reach. Many homeless people and homebound residents are older adults with underlying health conditions, but public health officials can't just schedule them for appointments, put them on a bus and get them to come back a second time. (3/25) San Jose Mercury News: How We Can Lower COVID Hospitalization, Fatality Rates
The scientific and medical communities widely agree that using repurposed drugs and therapies is the fastest and most efficient way to attack new diseases. Yet in this pandemic, medical authorities and drug companies have spent little effort on testing, research or approval of repurposed drugs. Thousands upon thousands of people may have died as a result. At the onset of the pandemic, l created the COVID Early Treatment Fund with a dedicated group of volunteers. Our team raised more than $5 million to fund research into repurposed drugs. We were inundated with requests from researchers with ideas about existing drugs that might work against COVID. One such drug that showed impressive results is fluvoxamine, a generic antidepressant. It has proven to be extremely effective in small randomized trials and in clinical use. (Steve Kirsch, 3/24) Houston Chronicle: Too Many GOP Men Are Refusing To Get The Coronavirus Vaccine. That Puts Everyone At Risk.
Texas knows how to change the minds and behavior of its citizens — white males included. Just think of the wildly successful "Don't Mess With Texas" ad campaign that helped tamp down littering. Gov. Greg Abbott's office could do a world of good by launching a similar campaign to convince Texans of the truth that vaccines save lives, including perhaps their own. Now that Texas is set to become the first large state to open coronavirus vaccine eligibility to its entire adult population, we have to find a way to reach a certain faction of white male Republicans who are insisting they intend to spurn the shot. According to a recent NPR/PBS/Marist poll, 49 percent of GOP men said they are not planning to get vaccinated. That startling number, higher than in any other demographic, is in contrast to only 6 percent of Democratic men saying no. Other polls report similar findings. (3/24) Perspectives: Medi-Cal Shouldn't Cut Telehealth Visits; Medicare Needs To Negotiate Drug Prices Editorial pages focus on these issues and more. Los Angeles Times: Telephone Visits With Doctors Work. Don't Roll Them Back
At the beginning of the pandemic, a crucial change to Medi-Cal reimbursement policy made telehealth more accessible than ever for California's most vulnerable populations. Visits conducted via telephone, online video or in person were to be covered equally. Our experience as clinicians during this time has shown us that putting telephone visits on equal benefit footing has dramatically expanded access to care without compromising quality. Yet the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, along with California's Department of Health Care Services, recently signaled they would reduce or eliminate reimbursement for audio-only visits. (Sirina Keesara and Anastasia Coutinho, 3/25) The New York Times: Taxpayers Fund Research and Drug Companies Make a Fortune
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is worried about how Americans will pay for vaccines in the future. As well she should be. "I worry about the day where the vaccine will no longer be free," the director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, said this month, referring to the fact that the government is providing coronavirus vaccinations to all Americans at no cost. "What about if we need a third booster?" Dr. Walensky asked. "What happens then? Who's going to pay for that? "This question should concern every American and every policymaker in Washington. These vaccines, which are critical to ending the scourge of Covid-19, were developed with government funding and purchased for $10 to $19.50 per dose with taxpayer dollars. (David E. Mitchell, 3/24) The Washington Post: Bernie Sanders Wants To Remind You The Pharmaceutical Industry Is Still Ripping Americans Off
The pharmaceutical industry is enjoying a moment. It has gone in mere months from being one of the most despised industries in the United States to a reputational high, a regular recipient of celebratory headlines for the rapid development of vaccines that will end the covid-19 pandemic. But Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) would like you to know the American pharmaceutical industry is still ripping people off — and he plans to do something about that. This week, Sanders introduced a trio of bills designed to help the United States get a grip on the price we pay for prescription drugs. (Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) is the lead sponsor in the House.) These bills would, if enacted, put an end to the gouging of the American public by permitting Medicare to negotiate drug prices, by pegging the price of pharmaceuticals to the median price in five comparable countries — Britain, Canada, France, Germany and Japan — and by allowing Americans to import drugs legally from Canada and other major countries. (Helaine Olen, 3/24) Also — The Baltimore Sun: Doctoring While Legislating Via Zoom Is Double-Dereliction Of Duty
When Scott Green, a California plastic surgeon standing in an operating room in full scrubs appeared via Zoom at a court hearing to contest a traffic violation last month, the presiding official was having none of it. "I don't think that's appropriate," Sacramento Superior Court Commissioner Gary Link responded, noting the presence of a patient lying unconscious on a nearby table. The court date was moved, and the defendant received national attention for all the wrong reasons, even as Dr. Green insisted his patient was in no jeopardy. The obvious lesson: Juggling a livestream with surgery is a terrible look. Apparently, not everyone saw it that way. (3/24) |
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