First Edition: July 27, 2021
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
KHN:
How A Doctor Breaks Norms To Treat Refugees And Recent Immigrants
Fatumo Osman, a 65-year-old Somali refugee who speaks limited English, was in a bind. She made too much money at a meal prep service job so she no longer qualified for Medicaid. But knee pain kept her from working, so her income had dropped. She could reapply for Medicaid, get her knee fixed and return to work, at which point she’d lose that safety-net health coverage. Her first step was getting a note from a doctor so she wouldn’t lose her job. So, Osman came to Mango House, a clinic in this eastern suburb of Denver that caters primarily to refugees and turns no one away, regardless of their ability to pay. Dr. P.J. Parmar designed the clinic to survive on the Medicaid payments that many doctors across the U.S. reject as too low. (Hawryluk, 7/27)
KHN:
Want Fries With That Vaccine? Even At A Fast-Food Restaurant, Pop-Up Clinics See Slow Traffic
A few months ago, the boxy, teal truck parked outside a McDonald’s in this Inland Empire city might have drawn hundreds of people willing to stand in line for hours under the scorching sun. The truck is San Bernardino County’s mobile vaccine unit, which brings covid-19 vaccines directly to people. But on July 15, only 22 people got a covid shot during the four hours it sat there. Roughly 12 feet away, more people were often seen waiting by a red canopy for free, government-subsidized smartphones, intended for low-income people, than were stepping up for the potentially lifesaving shots. (Almendrala, 7/27)
The New York Times:
V.A. Issues Vaccine Mandate For Health Care Workers, A First For A Federal Agency
The Department of Veterans Affairs will require 115,000 of its frontline health care workers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus in the next two months, making it the first federal agency to mandate that employees be inoculated, government officials said on Monday. The move comes as concern is growing that the substantial portion of the population that has not been vaccinated is contributing to the rapid spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. While it was a sharp departure from the Biden administration’s reluctance to embrace mandates, it was part of a broader shift in which New York City, many hospital chains and some private employers are deciding that the time has come to make being vaccinated a requirement. (Steinhauer, 7/26)
USA Today:
COVID Infections Double At VA Facilities As Agency Mandates Vaccines
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Monday that it will require its health care professionals to be vaccinated within the next two months as coronavirus infections have more than doubled in the past month at its medical facilities. The VA reported nearly 3,900 infections among veterans and staff Monday, up from about 1,500 in mid-June, a USA TODAY review found. Hospitalizations last week totaled 345, up from 225 at the end of May. The numbers are nowhere near the peak of nearly 18,000 cases reported at the VA in January, but they're growing. In the past week alone, the VA reported 911 more active infections and 73 more deaths. (Slack, 7/26)
Modern Healthcare:
California To Mandate COVID Tests For Unvaccinated Public Workers
California state government will require their employees to show proof of full vaccination or submit to weekly COVID tests starting Aug. 2, per an announcement on Monday. The state is the first in the nation to set a standard requiring workers to get fully vaccinated or undergo COVID tests at least once a week. The requirement begins for state workers on Aug. 2. Healthcare workers and workers in jails, homeless shelters, and residential living facilities must comply with the standard by Aug. 9. Healthcare facilities have until Aug. 23 to start testing workers and verify their vaccination status. The policy requires unvaccinated workers to wear personal protective equipment while on the job. (Gellman, 7/26)
Bloomberg:
Moderna Expands Child Vaccine Trial to Get More Safety Data
Moderna Inc. said it would expand an ongoing trial of its coronavirus vaccine in children under 12 years old to gather more safety data amid worries that messenger RNA shots may trigger rare heart side effects. “The objective is to enroll a larger safety database which increases the likelihood of detecting rarer events,” a Moderna spokeswoman said in a statement. Clinical trial timelines are regularly re-evaluated based on regulatory agency discussions and requests, she said, and Moderna expects to have data that would support authorization in late 2021 or early 2022. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company is discussing a proposal for a bigger trial with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, she said. (Langreth and Griffin, 7/26)
The Washington Post:
FDA Asks Pfizer, Moderna To Test Their Vaccines In More Children To Help Rule Out Safety Issues
Federal regulators have requested that vaccine companies expand their trials to test coronavirus shots in several thousand school-aged children before seeking authorization — a move intended to assess whether a rare inflammation of the heart muscle that has been seen in young adults shortly after vaccination is more common in younger age groups. The changes to ongoing pediatric trials run by Moderna and Pfizer and its German partner, BioNTech, could delay the availability of the vaccines to children between 5 and 11 beyond the hoped-for timeline of early fall, although it is unclear by how much. As the country faces a surge fueled largely by cases in unvaccinated people and the school year approaches, pediatricians and families have impatiently awaited shots of protection. (McGinley, Johnson and Abutaleb, 7/26)
The New York Times:
White House Will Keep Travel Bans In Place
The Biden administration will continue to restrict the entry of Europeans and others into the United States, citing concerns that infected travelers may contribute to further spread of the contagious Delta variant across the country, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said Monday afternoon. Concern about the variant had convinced officials not to lift the current travel restrictions on foreigners, Ms. Psaki said, some of which had been in place since the beginning of the pandemic. Vaccines remain effective against the worst outcomes of Covid-19, including from the Delta variant. (Shear, 7/27)
The New York Times:
'Long Covid' Will Be Covered By Federal Disability Law, Biden Says
Americans suffering from “long Covid” — a term referring to new or ongoing health problems from a coronavirus infection that occurred weeks or months ago — will have access to the benefits and protection provided under federal disability law, President Biden said on Monday. Speaking in the Rose Garden to celebrate the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Mr. Biden listed some of the lingering effects that have been seen in coronavirus survivors, including “breathing problems, brain fog, chronic pain or fatigue,” and noted that the effects sometimes rise to the level of a disability. (Karni, 7/26)
CNBC:
Some Americans With ‘Long Covid’ May Qualify For Federal Disability Resources, Biden Says
“We are bringing agencies together to make sure Americans with long Covid, who have a disability, have access to the rights and resources that are due under disability law,” Biden said during his remarks. Under guidance issued by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice, long Covid can qualify as a disability under federal civil rights laws if it “substantially limits one or more major life activities.”
(Constantino, 7/26)
CNN:
Biden Administration Announces Resources To Support People With Long Covid
The announcement comes as President Joe Biden marked the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act in remarks in the Rose Garden at the White House with Vice President Kamala Harris. ... Biden on Monday touted the ADA as an essential piece of legislation for the more than 60 million Americans living with a disability.
"Many of us can still recall in America where a person with disabilities was denied service in restaurants and grocery stores -- and could be. Where a person using a wheelchair couldn't ride on a train or take a bus to work or to school, or an employer could refuse to hire you because of a disability. An America that wasn't built for all Americans," Biden said. (Sullivan, 7/26)
Politico:
High-Stakes Infrastructure Talks Stall Out As Deadline Passes
Senators capped off a day of trading blame and stalled efforts on their bipartisan infrastructure proposal with a Monday meeting that quickly broke up, signaling a tough path forward as negotiators missed yet another self-imposed deadline. The core 10 senators huddled in the office of Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), the lead Republican negotiator, hoping to get past a rough weekend of fruitless talks. Discussions are expected to resume later in the evening, though not in person, and negotiators claimed they were still making progress. (Levine and Everett, 7/26)
The Washington Post:
Senate Infrastructure Talks In Political Jeopardy As Infighting Spills Out Into The Open
A bipartisan group of senators negotiating a massive infrastructure bill were on the verge of blowing another self-imposed deadline Monday as the Senate’s top Democrat threatened to keep the chamber in session over the weekend to advance legislation that stands at the top of President Biden’s agenda. For weeks, the 10 Republicans and Democrats hashing out a roughly $1 trillion package to revitalize the nation’s roads, bridges, pipes, ports and Internet connections have insisted that the group was close to finalizing a deal with the White House. In voting to block floor consideration of the package in the Senate last week, GOP senators crafting the deal argued that negotiators were close and that a broad infrastructure agreement was within reach. (Romm, Kim and Duncan, 7/26)
The Hill:
Senators Scramble To Save Infrastructure Deal
The White House and senators from both parties are scrambling to pull their infrastructure talks back from the point of collapse, a sudden turnabout after key negotiators expressed confidence they were nearing a final deal. If the talks on the $1.2 billion framework fall apart, it would deal a serious blow to White House hopes of securing a bipartisan deal, an important political win for President Biden and moderate Democrats in the House and Senate. Several Republicans have also put their reputations on the line to get a deal. (Carney, 7/26)
The Hill:
Four Senators Call On Becerra To Back Importation Of Prescription Drugs From Canada
A bipartisan group of four senators requested Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra’s support to allow less costly prescription drugs to be imported from Canada. Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), Angus King (I-Maine) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) sent a letter to the secretary on Monday asking him to back policies permitting states and tribes to import certain prescription drugs from Canada. (Coleman, 7/27)
Stat:
Biden Wants To Bolster The Pharma Supply Chain, But Plant Closure Looms
If you think bolstering the pharmaceutical supply chain in the U.S. is a national priority, you could be wrong. Just take a look at the sorry situation in Morgantown, W. Va. A decades-old generic-drug manufacturing plant run by Viatris — which was created last fall through a merger of Mylan and Pfizer’s Upjohn unit — will close this week, eliminating more than 1,200 jobs. Another 200 or so will go next year. The production work is being sent overseas, mostly to India, where Mylan already operates several facilities. (Silverman, 7/27)
CNN:
In These 2 US States, Every County Is Listed As 'High Transmission'
Florida and Arkansas currently share a grim distinction when it comes to the spread of the coronavirus. Every one of the two states' counties is now listed as having "high" levels of community transmission, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC lists high transmission in nearly every county in several other states, including Missouri, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. (Ellis, 7/27)
CNN:
Mayor Of Florida County Home To Disney World Sounds Alarm On Surging Covid Cases
The mayor of the Florida county that's home to Disney World and Universal Studios is sounding the alarm on a spike of Covid-19 cases in the area, saying the county is now in "crisis mode" as it grapples with its worsening infection rate. "These numbers are extraordinary. We are seeing nearly 1,000 new cases in Orange County daily. Those are the numbers we saw at the highest peak last year," Mayor Jerry Demings, a Democrat, said Monday during a news conference. "So a thousand a day is extraordinary. We are now in crisis mode." (Cole, 7/27)
CNN:
Staff At A Jacksonville Baptist Hospital Say They Are Hearing Panic, Fear And Regret From Unvaccinated Patients
Health care workers at Jacksonville's Baptist Medical Center in Florida are hearing panic, fear and regret from many of their patients as an increasing number are admitted for Covid-19 complications -- and as many need to be put on ventilators. "We're getting ready to intubate the patient, which means putting them on a ventilator, and they said, 'If I get the vaccine now, could I not go on the ventilator?' So, they're begging for it," Chief Nursing Officer Tammy Daniel told CNN. "They're desperate because they are gasping for air, they can't breathe, they are scared, they feel like they're going to pass away." (Holcombe and Kaye, 7/27)
Fox News:
Texas COVID-19 Hospitalizations See 150% Increase In Last Month
Texas reported 4,320 COVID-19-related hospitalizations on Saturday, a high not seen since mid-March, when the state’s numbers began trending downward. The total marks an increase of over 1,000 hospitalizations from the prior week, when the state reported just shy of 3,000. Last week, the state’s health commissioner noted a 150% increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations between June 27 and July 20. Dr. John Hellerstedt, the commissioner of the department of state health services, noted that the delta variant makes up most new cases in Texas. He urged residents who haven’t yet received a COVID-19 vaccine to seek out the shot. (Hein, 7/26)
Houston Chronicle:
'Now They Want The Vaccine': Houston ER Docs Speak From Front Line Of Latest COVID Surge
The fourth COVID-19 wave is like a sequel to a movie that no one ever wanted to watch in the first place, said Dr. Gina Blocker, attending emergency physician at Baylor St. Luke’s Hospital. “This feels like a part two with additional scenes,” said Blocker, who feels this recent surge could have been avoided had more Houstonians been vaccinated. In Harris County, the number of active coronavirus cases has nearly tripled — from 3,076 to 8,431 — since the beginning of July, as the hypercontagious delta variant spreads rapidly among young, and primarily unvaccinated, Texans. (Garcia, 7/26)
New Orleans Times-Picayune:
As COVID Surge Escalates In Louisiana, Hospitals Shut Down Elective Surgeries: 'No Room At Our Inn'
Louisiana’s ongoing surge of COVID continued to escalate over the weekend, with an additional 6,225 cases reported since Friday, marking one of the largest increases in case counts since the pandemic began. Though vaccinations are also increasing, it’s not enough to stem the flood of patients into hospitals, according to weary health care workers now well into their fourth surge in the past 18 months. “It’s so fast we can’t really grasp it,” said Dr. Catherine O’Neal, chief medical officer at Our Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge and associate professor at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine. “I don’t know where we’ll be in three days, but I’m afraid we’ll reach crisis standards of care if we don’t make some changes quickly.” (Woodruff, 7/26)
Fox News:
Wildfire Smoke Exposure Linked To COVID-19 Case Increase: Study
Wildfire smoke exposure likely contributed to an increase in Reno, Nevada’s COVID-19 cases last year, researchers suggested, noting that the findings could inform policies to tamp down harmful effects from air pollution amid the pandemic. Exposure to tiny particles in smoke (specifically measuring 2.5 µm in diameter or smaller, PM2.5) "increases susceptibility to respiratory viruses" causes airway inflammation, and boosts "the spread and survival of bacterial, fungal, and viral bioaerosols," including those containing the virus causing COVID-19, study authors wrote in findings recently published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology. (Rivas, 7/26)
Axios:
Savannah Reimposes Indoor Mask Mandate
Savannah, Georgia, will again require people to wear face masks while inside public places because of a “steep and alarming rise” in COVID-19 cases, Mayor Van Johnson announced Monday, per AP. Savannah is the most recent major U.S. city to reimpose some coronavirus restrictions in response to an increase in cases and hospitalizations. (7/26)
AP:
9 Western WA Counties Now Recommend Mask Use Indoors
Health officials in more than a half-dozen western Washington counties are now recommending mask-wearing in indoor public spaces regardless of vaccine status because of a rise in COVID-19 cases and the highly infectious delta variant. Public Health Seattle & King County officials said on Monday in a joint statement with the counties that local health officers from around the Puget Sound region were joining together in the recommendation after King County health officer, Dr. Jeff Duchin, issued the guidance on Friday. (7/27)
AP:
Updated Hawaii Health Guidance A Week Before New School Year
Hawaii’s Department of Health has updated it guidance to schools a week before the start of another school year during the pandemic. The department’s guidance announced Monday includes recommendations for wearing masks in all indoor settings and maintaining at least 3 feet (1 meter) of physical distance between students in classrooms, when possible. (7/26)
AP:
Arkansas Governor, Top Lawmakers To Meet On Mask Mandate Ban
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Monday he planned to meet with House and Senate leaders about growing calls to allow schools to require face masks as the state reported 23 more deaths from COVID-19. The Republican governor said he planned to discuss the issue Tuesday with the GOP leaders of the state House and Senate, following calls from Democratic lawmakers and others to lift a state law banning mask mandates by state and local governments. (DeMillo, 7/27)
AP:
Beshear Urges Masks In Schools To Try To Avoid Disruptions
Kentucky’s governor on Monday urged school districts to require mask-wearing in schools to minimize the risk of disruptions from an escalating coronavirus surge fueled by the highly contagious delta variant. With schools reopening in coming weeks, Gov. Andy Beshear called on local school district leaders to take the recommended steps needed to protect students and school workers while trying to avoid the pandemic-caused disruptions that hampered the previous academic year. (Schreiner and Blackburn, 7/26)
AP:
New Mexico Releases Plans For Masking, Vaccines In Schools
New Mexico education officials released updated guidance on COVID-19 case reporting, masking requirements and vaccine considerations for K-12 schools this fall. The new rules rolled out Monday give vaccinated students more chances to take off masks. It also allows them to avoid quarantines if there’s an outbreak on campus. Schools serving only middle or high school students can choose to allow vaccinated children to go without masks in most situations. (Attanasio, 7/27)
NBC News:
With Ban On Mask Mandates, Texas Teachers Fear Covid Surge As School Year Nears
As second grade teacher Aaron Phillips prepares to return to his classroom in Amarillo, Texas, in a few weeks, he is increasingly concerned that he and his students will be at risk in an alarming surge in coronavirus cases driven by the highly contagious delta variant. Phillips is vaccinated and will be wearing a mask when school starts Aug. 17, but it is unclear how many of his students or the other adults in the building will also be wearing them after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott banned public school districts from requiring face coverings. (Silva, 7/26)
The Washington Post:
Family Of Tennessee Talk-Radio Host Urges Vaccine After Covid-19 Battle
After sharing the story of his brother’s ordeal in the hospital, Mark Valentine told The Post that dozens of WTN-FM listeners began writing to the family to say they have decided to get vaccinated. “It’s overwhelming and heartwarming,” Valentine said. “And for these people who are getting vaccinated, we’re just elated about that.” (Shepherd, 7/26)
The Wall Street Journal:
Covid Treatment Options Remain Elusive, Despite Months Of Effort And Rising Delta Cases
Nearly a year and a half into the pandemic, researchers are still struggling to find effective, easy-to-use drugs to treat Covid-19.Ten drugs have been cleared or recommended in the U.S. for use. Two of those later had their authorizations rescinded after they failed to work. The government recently paused shipments of a third because it wasn’t effective against new variants. The best medicines for early treatment are cumbersome to administer, and drugs for those in the hospital can only do so much for patients who are already severely ill. (Walker, 7/26)
Bay Area News Group:
300 San Francisco Bars Will Require Vaccine Proof Or Negative COVID Test From Patrons
To protect employees and customers, the San Francisco Bar Owner Alliance — a group that represents 300 businesses in this tourism-dependent city — announced Monday that its members have decided to limit indoor service to those who have been vaccinated or can prove they are COVID-free. “Effective Thursday, July 29, it will be the official position of the SF Bar Owner Alliance that any customer who wishes to remain inside our establishments show proof of vaccination or a 72-hour negative COVID-19 test,” the group’s statement reads. “Guests without these verifications are welcome to sit outside in parklets or other spaces we offer.” The notice added: “It will be up to each individual bar to decide how best to enforce this.” (Zavoral, 7/26)
Los Angeles Times:
Newsom Blasts The Unvaccinated, Tucker Carlson Over COVID-19
Gov. Gavin Newsom compared choosing to remain unvaccinated to drunk driving and denounced high-profile conservatives including Fox News host Tucker Carlson in a rare public rebuke as COVID-19 spreads in California and adds political pressure on the governor ahead of the recall election. “We’re exhausted by the right-wing echo chamber that has been perpetuating misinformation around the vaccine and its efficacy and safety,” Newsom said Monday. “We’re exhausted by the politicalization of this pandemic and that includes mask wearing that has been equated to the Holocaust. It’s disgraceful. it’s unconscionable and it needs to be called out.” (Luna, 7/26)
AP:
Newsom Casts Political Blame In New California Vaccine Push
Making a fresh push for vaccinations as coronavirus cases climb in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom turned political as he announced new requirements for state workers and health care employees to show proof of vaccination, blaming “right wing” politicians and media for perpetuating misinformation about the shots. “They’re misinforming people, they’re literally putting people’s lives at risk,” Newsom said on MSNBC, echoing similar comments in a news conference and on CNN Monday, where he specifically criticized Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Fox News host Tucker Carlson. (Ronayne and Har, 7/27)
The Washington Post:
There Is Real Political Peril For Politicians Who Politicize The Coronavirus
The lawmakers attacking coronavirus measures and flirting with anti-vaccination messages could find themselves in political trouble in the 2022 midterms, say some political analysts and rivals. And even though more Republicans have pivoted to touting vaccine benefits in recent weeks, advocates warn they may have already done themselves damage. (Diamond, 7/26)
AP:
Never Too Late: Cancer Centers Push Patients To Quit Smoking
When cancer patients stop smoking, they heal faster, experience fewer side effects from treatment and lower their chances of tumors returning. Now, top cancer hospitals are helping patients quit as evidence mounts that it’s never too late. The newest research, reported Monday, shows lung cancer patients who stopped smoking gained nearly two years of life compared to those who continued to smoke. (Johnson, 7/26)
Modern Healthcare:
Providers Push Congress To Repeal In-Person Telemental Health Requirement
Congress has made steps to improve Medicare's telehealth coverage, but there are still restrictions that provider groups, advocates and lawmakers across the aisle argue will impede access to mental healthcare. The $2.3 trillion government spending bill passed in December permanently allowed Medicare to cover mental health services delivered virtually but with a catch: beneficiaries must see the practitioner in person within six months before virtual treatment begins. Lawmakers added the requirement amid concern over potential Medicare fraud and waste. But some congressional aides say the restriction was added to bring down the cost of the bill, the biggest spending package passed in congressional history. (Hellmann, 7/26)
Modern Healthcare:
Anthem, Humana Drop Nearly $140 Million To Launch New PBM
Anthem and Humana have invested nearly $140 million to form a new pharmacy benefit manager, as criticism over traditional PBMs' operations kickstarts business at startups that promise transparency. The insurers will hold a minority stake in the new joint venture, named DomaniRx, which is being championed by SS&C Technologies. The Windsor, Conn.-based fintech company owns approximately 80% of the new business, according to a filing submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on July 15. SS&C's existing claims processing platform—RxNova—will serve as the new PBM's technological backbone. By combining claims administration with data analytics, DomaniRx aims to offer payers more transparency into their drug costs and help them better comply with changing government regulations. Payers use PBMs to manage their benefits and negotiate drug pricing with pharmaceutical companies and drugstores. (Tepper, 7/26)
Modern Healthcare:
PathAI Acquires Part Of Poplar Pathology Lab
Artificial-intelligence startup PathAI on Monday said it acquired Poplar, the management service arm of pathology laboratory Poplar Healthcare. PathAI, a Boston-based startup that develops AI software for pathologists, is one of the most well-funded clinical AI startups. The acquisition marks PathAI's step into traditional clinical diagnostics; Poplar Healthcare, which is based in Memphis, Tenn., provides testing services for gastroenterologists, dermatologists, oncologists, urologists and gynecologists. Poplar, which will become PathAI's diagnostics division, will be able to use PathAI's machine learning—a type of AI—tools to analyze pathology images. (Kim Cohen, 7/26)
Reuters:
OxyContin Maker Purdue's Creditors Vote In Favor Of Bankruptcy Plan
OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP said on Tuesday that creditors voted in favor of its reorganization plan that would provide billions of dollars to the governments that sued the company for its role in the U.S. opioid crisis. More than 95% of the 120,000-plus votes submitted were in favor of the plan, Purdue said, citing preliminary voting results. (7/27)
Axios:
Opioids Settlement Represents Relatively Small Chunk Of Health Care Companies' Cash
Since 2016, the four companies involved in the latest opioid settlement — Johnson & Johnson, McKesson, AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health — have funneled a combined $100 billion to shareholders through stock buybacks and dividends. If that's any indication, those companies won't have much trouble paying off a combined $26 billion settlement agreement. (Herman, 7/27)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Overdose Reversal Drug Narcan Has Already Been Used More Than 4,200 Times In S.F. This Year
The opioid-driven drug overdose crisis in San Francisco, which accelerated in 2020, continues to kill an average of more than 50 people nearly every month in the city. From January to June, 344 people have died of accidental overdoses in San Francisco, 256 of which involved fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine, according to the latest report from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Without the widespread distribution of the opioid reversal drug naloxone, more commonly known by its commercial name, Narcan, the crisis could be worse. (Jung, 7/26)
Modern Healthcare:
SNAP Benefits Fall Short In 4 Out Of 10 U.S. Counties
Federal nutrition subsidies don't cover the average meal cost in more than four in 10 U.S. counties, even after Congress increased benefits, a new study found. Before the temporary 15% increase to the maximum Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program benefit, the maximum subsidy did not cover the cost of a low-income meal in 96% of U.S. counties, according to research from the Urban Institute, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. While the temporary boost—set to expire on Sept. 30—has reduced rates of food insecurity, it still doesn't cover the average meal of $2.41 in 40.5% of U.S. counties. (Kacik, 7/26)
AP:
Air Force Takes Next Step In Fuel Cleanup At New Mexico Base
The U.S. Air Force has spent years trying to keep a jet fuel leak from reaching Albuquerque’s drinking water supply and now says it has enough information to outline its work, paving the way to wrapping up the cleanup efforts. Officials from Kirtland Air Force Base say they will spend the next several months to a year writing a report that they will submit to the New Mexico Environment Department. Once the state reviews and approves it, the base can make recommendations for a final cleanup. (Fonseca, 7/27)
Axios:
Study: More Wealth Leads To A Longer Life
Americans who are wealthier at midlife tend to live longer than their less-wealthy peers — including peers who also happen to be their siblings, according to a new study published Friday in JAMA Health Forum. The study suggests that the association between wealth and longevity isn't an artifact of early life experiences or genetics. Even among twins, greater wealth correlated with a greater chance of survival later in life. (Owens, 7/26)
AP:
Tennessee Man Sentenced In Scheme That Duped Cancer Patients
A Tennessee man who ran a Ponzi scheme disguised as a holistic wellness business was sentenced to eight years in prison on Friday. Howard L. Young falsely claimed to have a grant from Vanderbilt University to study cancer patients and other patients with chronic medical conditions, according to a news release from the U.S. attorney’s office in Nashville. Young also claimed he he had cured himself of cancer using naturopathic methods. He required patients to pay $10,000 to participate in his nonexistent study but told them they would get their money back at the end of the year. (7/26)
AP:
New COVID-19 Testing Program Offered To Kentucky Schools
The Kentucky Department for Public Health is offering a COVID-19 Testing Program for schools to assist with safe in-person learning for the upcoming academic year, Commissioner Steven Stack announced Monday. It is limited to staff and students of Kentucky K-12 public, private and charter schools. (7/27)
The Washington Post:
Texas Is Cutting Red Tape For Doctors And Patients
Doctors and health insurers are butting heads in the Lone Star State over a new kind of effort to roll back red tape for American patients. Starting Sept. 1, many Texas doctors will no longer have to obtain advance permission known as “prior authorization” from a health insurer before administering a procedure or prescription. The new law will grant automatic approval for medical orders from doctors who have a strong track record of getting the greenlight from insurance companies. Providers have long complained about the hassle of submitting paperwork to insurance companies to get approval before a procedure or prescription. The process can leave patients waiting for days to learn whether their insurance will cover their medical care. (Ellerbeck and Cunningham, 7/26)
The New York Times:
Homeless People Are Moved From Midtown Hotels Back To Shelters
New York City resumed the process of transferring thousands of homeless people from pandemic hotel rooms back to barracks-style group shelters on Monday, two weeks after a judge halted the moves on the grounds that the city was not giving adequate consideration to people’s health. Monday’s transfers, which caused confusion outside at least two hotels in Midtown Manhattan, came amid growing concerns over the recent quadrupling in coronavirus cases citywide and over the objections of advocates for homeless people, who said that the city was flouting the judge’s orders. (Newman, 7/26)
Reuters:
Olympic Host Tokyo Hits Record 2,848 COVID-19 Cases, Seeks More Hospital Beds
Tokyo's 2,848 daily coronavirus infections on Tuesday were the Olympic host city's highest since the pandemic began, officials said, as media reported that authorities had asked hospitals to prepare more beds for patients. Japan has avoided the devastating outbreaks suffered by other nations such as India, Indonesia and the United States, but the fifth wave of the pandemic fueled by the Delta variant is piling pressure on Tokyo's hospitals. (Nussey and Slodkowski, 7/27)
The Wall Street Journal:
Team USA Trails In The Other Tokyo Olympics Medal Table: Vaccinated Athletes
Team USA athletes’ vaccination rate of 85.5% seems wildly successful by public-health standards, and far better than the overall U.S. rate of 57% of people who have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. In the context of the world’s other prominent national Olympic committees, however, the U.S. doesn’t sniff the vaccination-rate medal stand. Ten national Olympic committees said that 94% or more of their Olympic athletes have been vaccinated, and two of those said they had reached 100%, according to a Wall Street Journal survey of 25 of the largest delegations at the Tokyo Games. (Bachman and Kantchev, 7/27)
Bloomberg:
Falling Covid Cases Are Welcome Surprise For U.K. Scientists
A sustained fall in new coronavirus cases in the U.K. is being cautiously welcomed by scientists, though there’s no consensus on what’s behind it -- or whether the current wave of infections has peaked. The U.K. recorded 24,950 new cases on Monday, down for a sixth day and well below the 39,950 from a week earlier. Scientists pointed to the end of the soccer European Championship, a period of sunny weather and the start of the school holidays as potential factors, alongside the vaccine rollout. (Ashton, 7/26)
Reuters:
Antibodies From Sinovac's COVID-19 Shot Fade After About 6 Months, Booster Helps - Study
Antibodies triggered by Sinovac Biotech's (SVA.O) COVID-19 vaccine declined below a key threshold from around six months after a second dose for most recipients, although a third shot had a strong booster effect, according to a lab study. Chinese researchers reported the findings from a study of blood samples from healthy adults aged between 18-59 in a paper published on Sunday, which has not been peer reviewed. (7/27)
Politico:
Africa Wants To Produce A Coronavirus Vaccine — And Big Pharma’s Not Happy
Africa is poised to make a bold move that could turn around its fortunes in coronavirus vaccine manufacturing — taking the continent from import dependence to self-sufficient production of life-saving jabs for coronavirus, TB and maybe even one day for HIV. Two manufacturers are establishing an mRNA vaccine technology-transfer hub at the tip of the continent that could let it produce its own vaccines, on its own terms. It's a way to address just how exposed countries are if they don’t have their own vaccine manufacturing capacity. Africa imports about 99 percent of routine immunizations — and is the least vaccinated against coronavirus in the world. (Furlong, 7/26)
Bloomberg:
Covid Vaccine Maker BioNTech Attempts Shot for Malaria Next
BioNTech SE will seek to follow its successful Covid-19 vaccine with a shot to prevent malaria, marking its first solo project and first new infectious-disease effort since the pandemic began. The German biotech aims to start patient trials of a malaria shot by the end of next year. Backed by the World Health Organization, European Commission and the kENUP Foundation, the project will simultaneously seek to build out the infrastructure needed to produce any successful malaria shot, and other messenger RNA vaccines, in Africa, BioNTech Chief Executive Officer Ugur Sahin said. (Kresge, 7/26)