First Edition: Oct. 14, 2021
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
KHN:
Covid Testing, Turnaround Times Are Still Uneven This Far Into Pandemic
In one recent week, a New Yorker got a free covid-19 test in a jiffy, with results the next day, while a Coloradan had to shell out $50 for a test two cities from her hometown after a frantic round of pharmacy-hopping. A Montanan drove an hour each way to get a test, wondering if, this time, it would again take five days to get results. While covid testing is much easier to come by than it was early in the pandemic, the ability to get a test — and timely results — can vary widely nationwide. A fragmented testing system, complicated logistics, technician burnout and squirrelly spikes in demand are contributing to this bumpy ride. “We’re still where we were 18 months ago,” said Rebecca Stanfel, the Montana woman who had to wait five days for test results in Helena last month after being exposed to someone with the virus. (Bichell, 10/14)
KHN:
Q&A: How Will California’s New 988 Mental Health Line Actually Work?
In September 2020, Congress passed bipartisan legislation creating a three-digit national suicide hotline: 988. Think of it as an alternative to 911 for mental health emergencies. The system is intended to make it easier to seek immediate help during a mental health crisis. Instead of calling 911 or the 10-digit national suicide hotline, Americans theoretically will be able to speak to a trained counselor by calling 988 from most any phone line. (Gold, 10/14)
NBC News:
'Mix And Match' Covid Vaccine Boosters Are Effective, NIH Study Finds
A highly anticipated study of “mixing and matching” Covid-19 vaccines found the approach to be safe and effective, although the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines were found to spark stronger immune system responses than Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine. “Mixing and matching” refers to giving a booster dose of a vaccine different from the vaccine type that was used for the initial vaccination series. (Chow and Syal, 10/13)
NPR:
A Moderna Or Pfizer Booster Appears Better For J&J COVID Vaccine
If you got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as your first COVID-19 shot, a booster dose of either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine apparently could produce a stronger immune response than a second dose of J&J's vaccine. That's the finding of a highly anticipated study released Wednesday. And if you started out with either Pfizer or Moderna, it probably doesn't matter that much, the research suggests, as long as you get one of the two mRNA vaccines as a booster. The study, which was sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, involved 458 volunteers. They were divided into nine groups with roughly 50 volunteers in each group. Those who initially got the two-dose Moderna vaccine got either another Moderna shot, a Pfizer shot or a Johnson & Johnson shot as a booster four to six months after their primary immunization. (Stein, 10/13)
Bloomberg:
'Mix-And-Match' Covid Vaccines Could Boost Antibodies, Study Finds
Mixing Covid vaccines produces as much or more antibodies as using the same shot as a booster, according to preliminary results of a widely awaited U.S. government-sponsored trial. The trial is the first major U.S. study to compare the effects of using different vaccines as boosters from the initial shot or shots. The complicated, 9-arm trial involved over 450 people and measured the effects from giving a booster shot of the Moderna Inc., Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE or Johnson & Johnson vaccines to those who had originally gotten a different vaccine. Overall, the results found that mixing-and-matching resulted in comparable or higher levels of neutralizing antibodies compared to same-vaccine boosting, the researchers said in the preprint posted on medRxiv.org. Rates of adverse events were similar across all the different booster groups, the study found. (Langreth and Rutherford, 10/13)
The Hill:
More Than One-Third Of Eligible Seniors Have Received Boosters, White House Says
More than one-third of seniors who are eligible to get a third Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 shot have received a booster dose, the White House said on Wednesday. About three weeks after a third dose was authorized for certain Pfizer recipients, including those aged 65 and older, White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients said 7 million people by the end of Wednesday will have gotten their booster shot. (Coleman, 10/13)
NBC News:
Sweeping FDA Guidance Would Drastically Cut Salt In American Foods
The Food and Drug Administration is asking food manufacturers and restaurants to cut the salt in their products over the coming 2½ years, hoping to reduce Americans' overall sodium intake by 12 percent. The sweeping recommendation, announced Wednesday, is expected to cover a wide variety of foods — from chain restaurant meals to processed food on grocery store shelves and even baby food. (Edwards, 10/13)
NPR:
Eating Too Much Salt Is Making Americans Sick. Even A 12% Reduction Can Save Lives
It's an incremental step, as the agency hopes to see even deeper cuts in years to come, but reducing sodium consumption even this much could have big public health benefits, says the FDA's acting commissioner, Dr. Janet Woodcock. "Too much sodium is making people sick. It's leading to hypertension, and that causes both heart disease, strokes and even kidney damage, and it's preventable," Woodcock told NPR in an interview. (Aubrey, 10/13)
NBC News:
Social Security Checks Going Up By 5.9 Percent, The Highest Increase In Decades
The Social Security Administration announced Wednesday that recipients will receive a nearly 6 percent increase in benefits next year. The boost in benefits, which will affect nearly 70 million people, is being fueled by a spike in inflation caused by supply chain bottlenecks, worker shortages and other economic disruptions from the Covid pandemic. The larger checks will begin to arrive for most recipients in January. (Shabad, 10/13)
The New York Times:
Social Security Cost Of Living Increase Will Be 5.9% In 2022
Benefits from Social Security, which tens of millions of retired Americans rely on to pay their bills, will increase by 5.9 percent in 2022, the Social Security Administration said on Wednesday. It is the biggest boost in 40 years as prices for food, cars and rent keep climbing. The increase, known as a cost of living adjustment, is the largest since 1982, when the adjustment was 7.4 percent, according to data from the administration. The average benefit — 70 million Americans receive them — would climb to $1,657 a month, up $92 from this year. (Ngo, 10/13)
Politico:
Dems Torn Between Wooing And Badgering The Biden Agenda Holdouts
There’s a wide spectrum of Democratic-allied groups trying to cajole the party’s moderates into backing President Joe Biden’s major domestic spending proposal. Their approaches, though, have followed two vastly different tracks: There’s the honey and there’s the vinegar. Progressive activists have adopted an aggressive, confrontational approach, epitomized by protesters following Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) into the bathroom and then traveling to Boston to hound her at the Monday marathon there, even though a foot injury kept her from running the actual race. (Korecki, 10/13)
Politico:
House, Senate Democrats At Odds Over Whether To Slash Paid Leave Plan
Senate leadership is considering slashing funding for paid leave in Democrats’ reconciliation package to $300 billion, four sources told POLITICO, as part of a broader push to bring down the bill’s price tag to appease moderates. That’s about $200 billion, or about 40 percent, less than what the House approved. To get there, policymakers would need to make major changes to the House-drafted language, illustrating the kind of tradeoffs Democrats are being forced to consider — and the type of schisms that's creating between moderates and progressives. (Mueller, 10/13)
Politico:
Social Spending Fight May Claim Progressives’ Medicare Expansion
The push to cut more than $1 trillion from Democrats’ social spending bill and possibly scrap a planned expansion of Medicare presents the biggest test to date of the Congressional Progressive Caucus’ clout. The 96 members, who account for nearly half of the House majority, showed their strength last month by delaying a bipartisan infrastructure bill until party leaders finish work on the social policy package H.R. 5376 (117). But the coming weeks could prove much tougher, with Speaker Nancy Pelosi intent on trimming the number of programs in the bill and cutting back on how long certain others will be funded to pare the $3.5 trillion price tag to a figure that centrist Democrats would support. (Ollstein, 10/13)
The New York Times:
Which Of These 4 Family Policies Deserves Top Priority?
The safety net spending bill proposed by Democrats in Congress includes major benefits for families: paid leave, child care, pre-K and child allowances. But as they negotiate over the size of the bill, they may need to choose. Senator Joe Manchin, one of the two centrists whom Democrats must persuade to vote with them, has suggested that they pick just one, Axios reported. In a letter to colleagues Monday night, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote, “Overwhelmingly, the guidance I am receiving from members is to do fewer things well.” We asked 18 academics who study family policy — scholars of sociology, economics, public policy, social work and law — what they would choose if they could have only one, based on evidence from research in the United States and other countries. (Miller, 10/13)
Stat:
In Search For FDA Chief, The White House Is Relying On Insiders For Advice
Ten months into his tenure, President Biden has yet to nominate anyone to helm the Food and Drug Administration. But key new details about who’s helping to handle the interviews and which candidates have taken meetings shed some light on where the process stands. Biden himself kicked off wide speculation about who might direct the agency last week, when he told reporters that he’d weigh in on a nominee for the agency “in a little bit.” Throughout his presidency, Acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock, an agency veteran, has been at the helm. It’s not clear whether she’ll be nominated to take on the role herself, but in the meantime, the White House has vetted an array of other candidates. (Florko, 10/14)
NPR:
Federal Judge Rejects A Government Bid To Delay Purdue Pharma's Bankruptcy Settlement
In a surprise ruling late Wednesday a federal judge in New York allowed work to continue on implementation of a controversial bankruptcy plan for Purdue Pharma, the maker of Oxycontin. The U.S. Justice Department's bankruptcy watchdog agency had urged Judge Colleen McMahon of the U.S. District Court in Manhattan to put the brakes on the deal until it was reviewed on appeal. During a hearing Tuesday, McMahon signaled support for a stay. But in her ruling on Wednesday, she said work on the settlement, valued at between $5 and $10 billion, can go forward. (Mann, 10/13)
The Boston Globe:
Delta Surge Appears To Be Ebbing, Fauci Says
After weathering four distinct surges since the coronavirus pandemic began last year, the United States appears to be moving toward a decline in acceleration and a turnaround of cases, Dr. Anthony Fauci said at a White House news conference Wednesday. The comments from the White House’s chief medical adviser and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases come amid a decline in coronavirus cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, sparking hope that the summer surge fueled by the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus is ebbing. Although the numbers are dropping, Fauci said, the virus is not yet under control. He cautioned that rates have surged from low points in the past. (10/13)
AP:
September Marks New Peak Of Oregon COVID-19 Deaths
At least 610 Oregonians died from COVID-19 complications in September, marking the highest fatality count of any month of the pandemic. The death tally increased Wednesday as the Oregon Health Authority announced 1,278 cases and 33 more fatalities connected to COVID-19, including 15 deaths in September, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. (10/14)
CBS News:
"Do We Need To Ration Care?": COVID Patients Overwhelm Montana Hospitals
Montana, the first state to ban COVID-19 mandates for employees, has one of the lowest vaccination rates and the highest hospitalization rates in the country. Some hospitals have reached the point of not accepting new patients and are preparing to ration care. The intensive care unit at Billings Clinic is operating at 175% capacity. Dr. Jaimee Belsky, an emergency room doctor there, is trying to keep up with the crush of COVID patients. The hospital's emergency department is "beyond slammed at this moment," a spokesperson said, adding that the department has 9 ICU patients and 13 others waiting to be seen. (Oliver, 10/13)
AP:
COVID-19 Hospital Visitor Rules: Families Want More Access
Banned from the Florida hospital room where her mother lay dying of COVID-19, Jayden Arbelaez pitched an idea to construction employees working nearby. “Is there any way that I could get there?” Arbelaez asked them, pointing to a small third-story window of the hospital in Jacksonville. The workers gave the 17-year-old a yellow vest, boots, a helmet and a ladder to climb onto a section of roof so she could look through the window and see her mother, Michelle Arbelaez, alive one last time. (Licon, 10/13)
USA Today:
90,000 Deaths Since June Were Preventable With Vaccines
About 90,000 Americans likely died from June through September for failure to get vaccinated against COVID-19, according to Kaiser Family Foundation analysis that says the disease was the country's second-leading cause of death last month. The high number of preventable fatalities was caused by insufficient vaccination rates, a spike in coronavirus infections fueled by the delta variant and the loosening of social distancing restrictions, the analysis found. Even though COVID-19 has been waning in the fall, it claimed the lives of 49,000 Americans in September, the report estimates. That trails only heart disease among the nation's leading killers, and it was actually No. 1 in the 35-54 age group, which has a lower vaccine uptake than seniors. (Ortiz and Bacon, 10/13)
AP:
Judge Blocks Vaccination Mandate For California Prisons
A judge on Wednesday blocked an order due to take effect this week that required California prison employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.Kern County Judge Bernard Barmann issued a temporary restraining order that prevents enforcement of the vaccination mandate for guards and peace officers represented by a powerful union while the court weighs a request for a preliminary injunction, the Sacramento Bee reported. (10/14)
AP:
Judge Bars United From Putting Unvaccinated Workers On Leave
A federal judge has extended a ban on United Airlines putting employees on unpaid leave for seeking a medical or religious exemption from the airline’s requirement to get vaccinated against COVID-19.U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman in Fort Worth, Texas, granted a restraining order Tuesday in favor of employees who are suing the airline over the mandate. (10/13)
AP:
San Francisco Hasn't Approved Any Vaccine Waiver For Workers
About 800 San Francisco city workers have asked for medical or religions exemptions to avoid a looming deadline for them to get vaccinated or lose their jobs, but so far the city has not approved a single request, a human resources official said Wednesday. About 1,900, or 5.5% of the city’s 35,000-employee workforce, have not complied with the mandate to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Nov. 1, said Mawuli Tugbenyoh, chief of policy at San Francisco’s Department of Human Resources. (10/14)
AP:
Boston Suspends 800 For Failing To Comply With Vaccine Rules
More than 800 people who work for Boston have been suspended without pay for failing to comply with the city’s coronavirus vaccine mandate, city officials said. Acting Mayor Kim Janey announced in August that the city’s roughly 18,000 employees would be required to either show proof of vaccination, or, if they do no want to get a shot, submit to regular testing. (10/13)
CNBC:
Education Secretary Says Texas Is Wrong To Ban Covid Vaccine Mandates
U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said that he disagrees with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s move to ban nearly any coronavirus vaccine mandates in the state. That’s because the move will affect children in both public and private schools in the state, some of whom are not yet eligible to be vaccinated themselves. (Reinicke, 10/13)
CBS News:
Texas Hospital CEO "Deeply Disappointed" By Abbott's Bid To Ban Vaccine Mandates
Texas Governor Greg Abbott's executive order banning vaccine mandates in the Lone Star state is not sitting well at Houston Methodist, the first hospital system in the country to require employees be immunized against COVID-19. Houston Methodist — a medical center and six community hospitals — is "deeply disappointed in the governor's order," Dr. Marc Boom, president and CEO of Houston Methodist said in an emailed statement to CBS MoneyWatch. Medical workers take an oath to "do no harm," and that includes "doing everything possible to prevent the spread of disease — something we know these vaccines are very good at doing," he added. (Gibson, 10/13)
The Wall Street Journal:
Covid-19 Vaccine-Mandate Fight Between Texas And Biden Has Companies Caught In The Middle
The Greater Houston Partnership, which represents some 900 companies including Exxon Mobil Corp., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Chevron Corp. and Accenture PLC, said Tuesday that Mr. Abbott’s order would make it more difficult for Texas businesses to operate safely. The organization has been generally supportive of Mr. Biden’s efforts to require vaccines for large employers. (Harrison and Findell, 10/13)
AP:
Arkansas Governor OKs Bill Allowing Vaccine Mandate Opt-Outs
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Wednesday effectively approved a new law that will allow employees to opt-out of COVID-19 vaccine requirements, a move by fellow Republicans to challenge federal vaccine mandates. Hutchinson allowed the measure to become law without his signature despite his concerns about the impact it will have on businesses in the state. The new law won’t take effect until early next year. (DeMillo, 10/14)
The Wall Street Journal:
The Doctors Who Blocked Kyrie Irving
There are not many people standing in between the Brooklyn Nets and the NBA championship. ... But it turns out the greatest threat to Nets hegemony when the NBA season begins next week might be a team of New York City health officials. Jay Varma is their LeBron James. Varma was the senior adviser for public health in the New York City mayor’s office, where it was his job until recently to lead the city’s strategy against Covid-19, and he remains a consultant on pandemic matters. He’s also suddenly become one of the most significant figures in the NBA. (Cohen and Radnofsky, 10/13)
CNN:
Indiana Parents Say Walgreens Mistakenly Injected Them And Their Two Kids With The Covid-19 Vaccine Instead Of Flu Shot
Joshua and Alexandra Price say they and their two children were mistakenly given the Covid-19 vaccine instead of a flu shot a week ago at their local pharmacy -- and they are now dealing with some adverse symptoms. The Prices took their 4- and 5-year-olds to the Walgreens in Evansville, Indiana, on October 4 for their yearly shots. About 90 minutes later the pharmacist called saying they had made a mistake. The entire family had been injected with adult doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. (Simonson and Holcombe, 10/13)
AP:
Big Cats At Lincoln Children's Zoo Contract COVID-19
Officials at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo announced Wednesday that five big cats at the zoo are being treated for COVID-19.Two Sumatran tigers and three snow leopards were tested after they began showing signs of the virus during the weekend, spokeswoman Sarah Wood said in a release. Wood said zoo officials don’t believe the public was at risk because of the distance between the animals and zoo visitors. (10/13)
CIDRAP:
Most COVID-19 Survivors Have Symptoms 6 Months On, Review Finds
A systematic review of 57 studies involving more than 250,000 COVID-19 survivors reveals that 54% still had at least one symptom 6 months or more after initial diagnosis or release from the hospital. In the review, published today in JAMA Network Open, a team led by Hershey (Pennsylvania) Medical Center researchers searched the literature from December 2019 through March 2021 for studies on persistent COVID-19–related symptoms diagnosed using lab results, radiologic findings, or clinical signs or symptoms at or after 1 month. (Van Beusekom, 10/13)
New Orleans Times-Picayune:
New COVID Variant Detected In Louisiana; It's Not An Imminent Threat, Health Officials Say
A new COVID variant named B.1.630, first detected in the U.S. in March, has been sequenced by LSU in Shreveport. It is the first time the variant has been detected in the state of Louisiana. “This is mostly academic curiosity," said virologist Jeremy Kamil, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Louisiana State University Health Shreveport (LSUHS). "This is not a public health threat in the immediate sense." (Pierce, 10/13)
The Wall Street Journal:
Apple Studying Potential Of AirPods As Health Device
Apple Inc. is studying ways to make AirPods into a health device, including for enhancing hearing, reading body temperature and monitoring posture, according to documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal and people familiar with the plans. The plans further demonstrate Apple’s ambition to add health and wellness features to devices beyond the Apple Watch, where most of the company’s health functions exist today. Apple is also working on technology that aims to use iPhones to help diagnose depression and cognitive decline, the Journal reported last month. (Winkler, 10/13)
Stat:
Buoyed By Its Popular Weight Loss App, Noom Enters Digital Mental Health
Five months ago, weight loss company Noom announced $540 million in funding, dwarfing its previous investments. With locked-down users flocking to its app, revenues in 2020 had surged to $400 million, and the company made an ambitious pitch: It would spend the money to expand its behavioral change approach to other conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, and sleep. (Palmer, 10/14)
Modern Healthcare:
Aetna Hit With A Provider Suit Over Its 'Mystery Re-Pricing Program'
An orthopedic surgical practice sued Aetna on Wednesday, alleging the Hartford, Connecticut-based insurer's failure to reveal its "mystery re-pricing program" of provider claims violates state and federal laws. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, arises from Aetna Life Insurance Company re-pricing a spinal surgery and implant procedure conducted by Surgery Center of Viera, an ambulatory surgical center that specializes in laser fusion and repair operations. The Melbourne, Florida-based provider had seen a patient, identified as C.S., who suffered from a number of spinal conditions that left them in severe pain, according to the suit. The individual was covered under a company plan administered by Aetna through the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. Surgery Center of Viera deemed surgery as "medically necessary" for the patient and submitted a prior-authorization for the procedure to Aetna, which the insurer approved, the complaint said. (Tepper, 10/13)
Modern Healthcare:
Entry-Level Workers Rejected Jobs In Home Health, Nursing Homes During Pandemic
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and 13.7 million workers in roles comparable to direct care lost their jobs in early 2020, they did not turn to direct care jobs, a recent study found. Of the 9.1 million who have now found a new job, "an immeasurably small number of workers" entered the direct care workforce, despite high demand for staff, a study by consulting firm PHI and the Health Workforce Research Center on Long-Term Care at the University of California San Francisco found. "The fact that few workers who lost jobs during the pandemic moved into open direct care jobs highlights the need to improve direct care jobs so they attract well-skilled and dedicated people to care for people who need their services," Joanne Spetz, associate director for research at the Health Workforce Research Center on Long-Term Care at the University of California in San Francisco and an author of the report, said in a press release. (Christ, 10/13)
Stat:
Pfizer Uses Warranties To Refund Costs When Cancer Drug Fails
In an unusual bid to address prescription drug costs, Pfizer (PFE) is promising to offer warranties for its Xalkori lung cancer treatment and will refund the entire cost to any patient and health plan if the medication fails to work within the first three months. The drug maker last June quietly began what it calls a pilot program, which runs through the end of this year, for anyone who is covered by Medicare or commercial insurance, or pays by cash. Called the Pfizer Pledge, the program has escaped notice because the company has, so far, not publicized the effort beyond describing the details on its web site. (Silverman, 10/13)
The Wall Street Journal:
Elizabeth Holmes Trial: Retailers Vetted Theranos Without Testing Devices
In 2010, Theranos Inc. was courting two major retailers, hoping to put its laboratory technology in busy pharmacies across the country. The blood-testing startup won over Safeway Inc. and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. WBA -0.34% with the promise of real-time and cheaper lab testing, which would expand affordable healthcare for consumers and bring in more revenue to the retail giants, according to court testimony in the criminal trial of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes. (Somerville, 10/13)
AP:
Study: 'Sociability' Hormone Didn't Help Kids With Autism
Children with autism didn’t benefit from an experimental therapy made with a hormone thought to promote social bonding, researchers reported Wednesday in the largest study of its kind. “This is really a major setback,” said Dr. Linmarie Sikich, a Duke University researcher who led the multi-site U.S. study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. “We were really hoping to find a benefit and just couldn’t see it anywhere.” The U.S. government-funded study used a synthetic form of oxytocin, a hormone made in the brain that stimulates uterus contractions and helps mothers bond with their newborns. (Tanner, 10/13)
Fox News:
Dementia Signs Are In The Blood, Researchers Say
Researchers have reportedly found warning signs that could indicate impending dementia in the blood. In a new study published Monday in the scientific journal "EMBO Molecular Medicine," scientists from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and the University Medical Center Göttingen said that certain levels of microRNAs could be harbingers of the condition. MicroRNAs are molecules that regulate and influence the production of proteins and are a central process in metabolism. (Musto, 10/13)
Bloomberg:
New Toxic Drug Impurities Detected In Some Heart Pills In US
Over the past three years, millions of blood pressure pills that contain a probable carcinogen have been recalled around the world. As pharmaceutical companies have worked on finding a fix, they’ve discovered an entirely new problem: Another potentially dangerous chemical is showing up in the same drugs. The new chemicals are called azido impurities and regulatory authorities say they’re mutagenic, meaning they can change someone’s DNA and potentially increase cancer risk. (Edney, 10/13)
USA Today:
Breast Cancer Patients Say 'Cold Capping' Saved Their Hair. What Is It And Why Aren't More People Doing It?
Scalp cooling is available to all cancer patients except those battling leukemia or certain other blood-related cancers, but health experts say many people don’t know the option exists. And for those familiar with the process, the high cost and spotty insurance coverage can put the option out of reach. Cancer patients, survivors and advocates want to create more awareness about scalp cooling therapy and the effect hair has on a patient’s mental health, emotional health and their recovery process. As more people learn about cold capping, they hope more insurance companies will see the value in providing coverage or reimbursement. “We cringe every time we get an email saying, ‘I just had my first chemo treatment and heard about cold caps – is it too late to save my hair?’ Sadly, it is too late," said Nancy Marshall said, co-founder of the The Rapunzel Project, a non-profit promoting cold-capping awareness. (Rodriguez, 10/14)
Axios:
U.S. Sees Record High Of 96,000 Drug Overdose Deaths In 12 Month Period
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded over 96,000 deaths from drug overdoses in a twelve-month period ending in March 2021, according to provisional data released Wednesday. It's a nearly 30% jump over the preceding 12 months and coincides with one of the deadliest periods of the COVID-19 pandemic, when stay-at-home orders radically changed daily life for most Americans. (Garfinkel, 10/13)
AP:
US Supreme Court Won't Hear Dispute Over Injection Sites
The U.S. Supreme Court decided Wednesday it will not review a nonprofit group’s effort to open a supervised injection site in Philadelphia to try to reduce overdose deaths. The high court’s decision in the widely watched test case is a setback for the two dozen U.S. states and cities that supported the petition. A divided U.S. appeals court had rejected the Safehouse plan in January. Organizers of the Safehouse project say federal “crackhouse” laws enacted are not intended to criminalize medically supervised centers. (10/13)
CBS News:
Lead Water Crisis Hits Another Michigan City
Residents of Benton Harbor, Michigan — a predominantly African American city just three hours away from Flint, Michigan — are dealing with a lead water crisis. People are under orders not to drink, cook or even brush their teeth with tap water because of the high levels of lead from old pipes. And city officials have known about the problem for years. Benton Harbor gets its water from nearby Lake Michigan, but residents like Frances Davis say what comes out of the faucet is not safe to use. She instead turns to bottled water for everything from cooking, to brushing her teeth, to bathing. (Villafranca, 10/13)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Anti-Abortion Activists Have Already Sued Over California's New Law Limiting Vaccination Site Protests
Anti-abortion activists have sued to overturn a new California law that restricts protests outside vaccination sites, just days after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the measure despite warnings from First Amendment experts that it would violate free speech rights. The lawsuit, filed Sunday in the U.S. District Court in San Jose, argues that the state went too far in trying to protect people from harassment as they get vaccinated. Buffer zones for demonstrations established under the law, according to the complaint, unfairly burden and deny free speech in public spaces. (Koseff, 10/13)
The Washington Post:
Canadian City To Get 21,000 Gallons Of Water By Air Amid Suspected Contamination Crisis
Public health officials have told residents of Canada’s northernmost capital not to use tap water for drinking and cooking due to suspected fuel contamination in the city’s water supply. The city council of Iqaluit declared a state of emergency Monday and later urged its 7,000-plus residents not to swallow water when taking a shower. Municipal authorities said they were investigating “infiltration into underground chambers” at a city water treatment plant as the potential source of contamination but have not ruled other other possibilities. (Cheng, 10/14)
AP:
UN Starts Vaccinating People Against Ebola In Congo
The World Health Organization said Wednesday that officials have begun vaccinating people in eastern Congo against Ebola, after it was confirmed last week that the disease killed a toddler. The U.N. health agency said in a statement that people at high risk of catching the disease, including the young boy’s family members and health workers, would receive first doses of the vaccine made by Merck. (Cheng, 10/13)
NBC News:
'Seized By Some Invisible Hand': What It Feels Like To Have Havana Syndrome
In March 2017, Tina Onufer, a career foreign service officer stationed in Havana, was standing at her kitchen window, washing dishes, when it hit her.“I felt like I was being struck with something,” she said. “Pain that I have never felt before in my life … mostly in my head and in my eyes. … It was as if I had been seized by some invisible hand and I couldn't move.” Onufer didn’t know it then, but she was among the first victims of a still-unexplained phenomenon that has come to be known as Havana Syndrome. (Mitchell, Dilanian and Breslauer, 10/13)
Axios:
WHO Honors Henrietta Lacks
The chief of the World Health Organization on Wednesday awarded the Director-General’s Award to the late Henrietta Lacks, whose cancer cells were unknowingly taken from her in the 1950s and used for scientific research, AP reports. The recognition comes more than 10 years after the publication of "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks," Rebecca Skloot’s book that details the discrimination that Black Americans face in health care and the scientific breakthroughs that were discovered because of Lacks' cells. (Doherty, 10/13)
AP:
'Marginalized': Women Trail Men In Some Vaccine Efforts
As coronavirus vaccines trickle into some of the poorest countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, data suggest some women are consistently missing out, in another illustration of how the doses are being unevenly distributed around the world. Experts fear women in Africa may be the least vaccinated population globally, thanks in large part to widespread misinformation and vaccine skepticism across the continent. But vaccine access issues and gender inequality reach far beyond Africa, with women in impoverished communities worldwide facing obstacles including cultural prejudices, lack of technology, and vaccine prioritization lists that didn’t include them. And while global data by gender in vaccine distribution is lacking in many places, officials agree that women are clearly being left behind men in some places, and that the issue must be addressed for the world to move past the pandemic. (Cheng, 10/14)