💡If you’re afraid of the dark, this might be the place for you. A high school in Massachusetts couldn’t turn off the lights for over a year.
Today, for-profit nursing homes have a very high rate of COVID-19 infection.
But first, oversight bodies said the requirements were too vague and that HHS needed stronger oversight of so-called gain-of-function research.
Hill’s Healthcare SummaryFollow the latest developments in policy and news that affect your health. Nathaniel Weisel and Joseph Choi. Would someone forward this newsletter to you?
HHS policy on virus research unclear, GAO says
A congressional oversight body has determined that the oversight conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for research involving highly contagious viruses such as coronavirus is clearly lacking, and has issued new standards to assess risk. recommends the Department of Health and Human Services to create a
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) conducted an independent study examining federal oversight of gain-of-function research. The investigation was prompted by provisions including the CARES Act, which requires authorities to examine ongoing efforts to prepare for, respond to, and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gain-of-function research, which has come under increased congressional scrutiny throughout the pandemic, is the process by which pathogens are altered in ways that improve their ability to cause disease. This form of research is often done to assess potential risk of infectious disease and can be used to inform public health preparedness.
HHS developed a framework for gain-of-function research in 2017, and if it identifies a research proposal containing an “enhanced potential pandemic agent” that it is considering for federal funding, it will be subject to additional review. requested the institution to submit
The GAO said in its report that the surveillance conducted under the 2017 framework “does not fully meet the key elements of effective surveillance.”
According to Watchdog, the framework fell short in terms of transparency and review execution.
Please check this out for details.
USDA Strengthens Rules for Organic Food Labels
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Thursday updated its regulations on foods labeled “organic” in an effort to close loopholes and increase confidence in USDA’s organic certification.
The USDA touted the new rule, which aims to strengthen oversight and enforcement of products labeled organic, as “the largest update to organic regulations” since 1990.
- New rules require more companies in the supply chain to be certified as organic and require all organic products entering the United States to have an import certificate from the USDA’s National Organic Program. .
- Also, non-retail containers used to ship and store organic products must be labeled “reduce mishandling of organic products” and “support traceability” and have standardized certifications. Use and uniform training and qualification of authentication agents are required.
“This success is yet another proof that the USDA fully supports organic brands,” said Jenny Lester Moffitt, the agency’s undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs, in a statement.
In the news: Last week, two Minnesota farmers were charged with trying to defraud buyers of more than $46 million by falsely labeling their grain as organic. Also earlier this month, several individuals in Turkey and two of his entities in Dubai were charged with shipping non-organic soybeans and corn from Eastern Europe to Mexico. Labeled organic in the US.
Please check this out for details.
Survey: Fewer than half say health care in the US is better or better
A new Gallup survey found that less than half of respondents have a favorable opinion of the US healthcare system, with the majority calling it fair or poor.
It’s the first time since 2001, when the research giant began recording feedback on U.S. healthcare, that less than half of respondents (48%) say the system is good or better. Public opinion polls continue the alarming trend of declining confidence in health care in the country.
Descent trajectory: Views of US healthcare have deteriorated since its peak in 2012, when 62% of respondents praised the system. Since then, those positive opinions have hovered around 55% for him, last year he dropped to 50%, and this year he’s below the threshold of half the respondents.
- One of the main reasons attitudes toward health care are trending downward is Republicans’ less trust in the system since President Trump stepped down, according to new research.
- In 2019, 75% of Republicans had a positive view of healthcare, but today only 56% share that view. Satisfaction for Democrats has always been low, with him currently at 44%.
Please check this out for details.
Most LGBTQ Youth Say Some State Laws Affect Mental Health
More than 70% of LGBTQ youth say their mental health has been hit by state laws restricting the rights of LGBTQ youth.
In 2022 alone, more than 200 bills considered by state and federal legislators sought to limit the rights of LGBTQ Americans, especially young transgender people.
- A new Trevor Project survey found that about 86% of transgender people aged 13 to 24 said these efforts harmed their mental health, and 55% said their mental health was “extremely adversely affected.” It is reported that
- More than 80% of transgender and nonbinary young people have recently voted over state bills that limit gender-affirming healthcare, ban transgender athletes from sports, and limit the way schools talk about LGBTQ identities. discussions are having a negative impact on their mental health.
Casey Saffredini, vice president of advocacy and government affairs at The Trevor Project, said in a statement Thursday, “We have to consider the negative impact of these ugly public debates on the mental health and well-being of young people.
“LGBTQ youth see the anti-LGBTQ messages they see in the media and from elected officials and take it into their own, and so do those that harm our communities.”
Please check this out for details.
Over 1,300 nursing homes had high COVID rates
More than 1,300 nursing homes in the U.S., most of them for-profit, experienced exceptionally high COVID-19 infection rates in 2020, according to a new report from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General (OIG). It became clear. service.
In an OIG study, the agency used Medicare claims data to find nursing homes with COVID-19-positive beneficiaries. The study looked at his 15,086 care homes nationwide.
“In nursing homes, COVID-19 cases spiked in the spring of 2020, with a further spike in the fall after they proved vulnerable. was very high, more than 75% of Medicare beneficiaries,” said the OIG.
The report notes demographic differences between the two observed surges. During the first surge in cases, urban nursing homes are likely to have many cases, while rural nursing homes are likely to experience a higher incidence of cases in the second surge. I got taller.
In both surges analyzed by the OIG, for-profit nursing homes accounted for a “disproportionate” number of places with extreme infection rates.
Please check this out for details.
what we are reading
- ‘Continue marching?’ At Roe’s 50th anniversary, abortion opponents at crossroads (New York Times)
- In a post-Dobbs world, pathologists who study miscarriage walk a thin line between medicine and law (Stat)
- NIH Loses Top Leadership at Start of Divided Congress (Roll Call)
by state
- Troublesome new gonorrhea detected in Massachusetts (Boston Globe)
- Bill expands mental health screening for students in Montana (Montana Public Radio)
- States that ban abortion are also those who are ‘financially powerless,’ says report (The 19th News)
The Hill OP-EDS
There are tools to protect immunocompromised people from COVID-19 — it’s time to use them
That’s all for today, thanks for reading. For the latest news and coverage, visit The Hill’s Health Care page. see you tomorrow.
