How nostalgic do you feel? Starting this week, you can play GoldenEye 007 on Nintendo Switch.
New data from the CDC show that the bivalent COVID booster, which became available last September, did less to stop symptomatic cases caused by the XBB.1.5 strain compared to previous viral mutations. I have found it to be ineffective.
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CDC: Updated subvariant vax to be effective as well
New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that an updated bivalent COVID-19 vaccine is significantly more effective in preventing symptomatic coronavirus cases caused by the XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariant when compared to previous strains It shows that it does not lose its usefulness.
- “No reduction in vaccine protection against symptomatic disease in XBB and XBB.1.5 was seen compared to other recent BA.5 variants. It’s very encouraging,” CDC spokesperson Benjamin Haynes said Wednesday. said at a press conference.
- Data published in the CDC’s Most Recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) found that bivalent booster doses were was 52% effective in preventing symptomatic coronavirus cases. .5 omicron subvariant, 48% effective in preventing symptomatic cases caused by XBB and XBB.1.5 subvariant infections.
What this means: According to CDC epidemiologist and MMWR lead author Ruth Link-Gelles, the findings can now be interpreted to mean that vaccines reduce the risk of symptomatic cases in about half the population. .
CDC also found that the updated booster provided additional protection against symptomatic coronavirus cases caused by XBB.1.5 for at least three months after vaccination.
To make these decisions, CDC analyzed nationwide laboratory data from December 1 through January 13 to look for symptomatic cases in adults who were not immunocompromised. For the purposes of the CDC study, a symptomatic case was defined as having one or more of her COVID-19 symptoms.
Please check this out for details.
16 million people insured through Obamacare
More than 16.3 million people enrolled in health insurance during the latest open enrollment period through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the highest enrollment since the program was signed into law 10 years ago. Recorded.
This record number of registrations occurred between November 1st and January 15th, nearly two million more than the previous year’s registrations. According to the White House, 3.6 million people, or 22% of those who signed up for this registration period, were new to the marketplace.
- “The Biden-Harris administration has made reducing healthcare costs and increasing access to health care a top priority.These record-breaking numbers show that we are making a difference for the American people.” ” .
- “We will continue to do everything in our power to help more people feel secure with quality, affordable health care.”
According to a White House press release, 92% of participants chose options from three or more insurers when purchasing a plan this year. Four of her five re-enrollers were able to find a plan for under $10 after tax.
During the last coverage period, approximately 14.5 million people enrolled in an insurance plan through the Affordable Care Act. The number of individuals enrolled in health insurance through HealthCare.gov has now increased by approximately 5 million since 2020, when enrollment fell to approximately 11.5 million.
Please check this out for details.
New report details worker pain from long COVID
COVID-19 has prevented many workers from returning to work and has left many in long-term treatment, according to a new report released Tuesday by the New York State Insurance Fund.
The report analyzed more than 3,000 workers’ compensation claims related to coronavirus and found that 31% of them suffered from a long-term condition with a series of persistent symptoms following COVID-19 infection. discovered.
About 70% of people with long-term COVID-19 have been unable to return to work or needed treatment for at least six months, according to the report.
18% of people with long-term COVID-19 had not returned to work for more than a year after their first infection. The report also found that the longer workers were out of work, the less likely they were to return.
The report found that 40% of patients with prolonged COVID-19 returned to work within 60 days and continued to receive treatment, but about 60% did not return to work after 60 days. .
Please check this out for details.
Most Children Using Potentially Harmful Cosmetics and Face Paints: Study
A survey published Tuesday in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that about 70 percent of parents surveyed said their children weren’t using glitter, face paint, nail polish, lip gloss or perfume sold to children. It states that it uses items such as .
Such products often feature bright colors, animals, and cartoon characters to help “capture children’s attention,” the author noted.
At the same time, research shows that many of these products contain toxins such as lead, asbestos, phthalates, formaldehyde, and perfluorinated and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS). environment and human body.
“It’s important to uncover how cosmetics and body products are used by children to characterize risks and improve safety,” said the Center for Children’s Environmental Health at Columbia University and Washington. The author of the DC-based group Earthjustice writes:
Researchers conducted a 39-question survey of children’s cosmetic use via social media and by distributing leaflets to parents and guardians of children under the age of 12. Of her 312 children of 207 survey respondents, 219 (70%) have used such products.
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Abortion drug maker challenges West Virginia ban
The maker of a generic version of mifepristone, the first of two drugs used for medical abortion, sued the West Virginia attorney general and local prosecutors Wednesday over state restrictions on the drug.
GenBioPro argued that West Virginia’s abortion bans and restrictions cause “significant and ongoing economic harm” and have been removed by federal law.
- Following Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice (R) in September banned abortion at all stages of pregnancy except for emergencies, rape and incest signed a law to
- Before the abortion ban, West Virginia required doctors to wait 24 hours after obtaining the patient’s consent to provide drugs, prohibited doctors from prescribing drugs via telemedicine, etc. , had imposed restrictions on medical abortion.
They claim: GenBioPro said in Wednesday’s filing that both the West Virginia abortion ban and previous restrictions have given Congress to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve and regulate access to drugs like mifepristone. He claimed it was inconsistent with authority.
“The Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs determines whether drugs are safe and effective, determines the precautions necessary to ensure safe use of drugs, and ensures safe and effective drugs. It did not replace the role of Congress and the FDA in protecting public health by doing so, and is open to the public,” the lawsuit said.
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrissey, a Republican, responded to the lawsuit in a statement Wednesday, saying he was “ready to defend West Virginia’s new abortion law to the fullest.”
Please check this out for details.
what we are reading
- Is WHO ready to end global health emergency on Covid? Maybe not yet (statistics)
- CDC understands ‘logistical and legal’ aspects of testing plane wastewater for coronavirus variants, sources say (CNN)
- Wave of rural nursing home closures grows amid staffing shortages (Kaiser Health News)
by state
- California enacts new abortion law in anticipation of counterfeits (Politico)
- New Nevada governor smears lobbyist influence in COVID Lab scandal, asks him to help with budget (ProPublica)
- Unmet need: Critics cite foster child health care failures (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
hill editorial
Patent Reform and Lower Drug Prices Should Be Bipartisan Priorities
That’s all for today, thanks for reading. For the latest news and coverage, visit The Hill’s Health Care page. see you tomorrow.
