Welcome to Friday’s Overnight Healthcare, We are following up on the latest developments in policies and news that affect your health. Subscribe here: thehill.com/newsletter-signup.
The CDC may want to hire Cal Coach as the latest spokesperson.University of Kentucky Basketball Coach Released A video calling on people to wear a KN95 mask.
After January 19th, you can log on to COVIDTests.gov to order some tests. However, do not overdo it.
The Hill is Peter Sullivan (psullivan@thehill.com) and Nathaniel Weixel (nweixel@thehill.com). Write us with tips and feedback and follow us on Twitter: @ PeterSullivan4 And @NateWeixel
let’s start.
Home rapids website coming on January 19th
This move enables rapid testing of 500 million times. President Biden
Joe Biden Shows Sunday Preview: Democratic Election Bill Conflict Comes to Head David Weil: Wrong People, Wrong Places, Wrong Times Biden’s Voting Rights Bet Is Second Guessing His administration said he bought it last month.
limit: The address of each place of residence is limited to four tests. According to the White House, tests are expected to take 7-12 days from order to shipment.
People will be able to order tests on the new website COVIDTests.gov. This website will be published on January 19th. The White House has partnered with the United States Postal Service to ship tests to people’s homes.
Mounting pressure: The move is coming as the White House is under pressure from lawmakers and health professionals to take stronger action to address the shortage of tests across the country.
Many health experts say the government should have been testing as it was this month before the Omicron wave hit.
Limiting four tests per address means that this channel alone is not enough to enable the frequent tests that many experts demand.
When asked about restrictions, senior government officials said the initiative was “one of the many programs we are running” with respect to testing. Other measures include allowing people to get a refund from a private health insurance company for tests purchased at retail stores.
Please check this out for details.
The White House threatens to clawback funds
The Biden administration has threatened to regain federal COVID-19 relief funding from Arizona unless the state stops directing money to schools without Mask’s obligations.
In a letter sent Friday, the Treasury said Arizona’s $ 163 million education plus-up grant program and its COVID-19 education recovery benefit program would undermine efforts to stop the coronavirus. I did.
The program, funded by payments from the State of Coronavirus and the Local Finance Recovery Fund, imposes conditions that discourage compliance with wearing masks at school, the letter said.
The fund “aims to mitigate the financial impact of COVID-19 public health emergencies, including supporting efforts to stop the spread of the virus,” the Treasury wrote in a letter. It is written.
Arizona Functions: The state plus-up grant program only funds schools without mask requirements, and the $ 10 million education recovery benefit program faces financial and educational barriers for schools to be considered to have children. Imposing “unnecessary closures and school obligations” that provide up to $ 7,000 per student to parents.
threat: Governor Doug Ducey
Doug Ducey Trump Focuses Election Claims on Overnight Healthcare in Arizona — White House: Website Testing Coming Soon Arizona School Mask Prevention Regulations Threaten Treasury to Regain COVID-19 FundsThe (R) office has 60 days to redirect federal funds to eligible users or modify the two programs to comply. If not, the federal government said it would move to collect the relief money. The Treasury has threatened to withhold the next aid tranche.
Please check this out for details.
Fauci: Not yet clear if you need an annual booster
President Biden’s Chief Medical Advisor Anthony Fauci
Anthony FauciDeSantis states that he did not agree with Trump’s decision to close the economy at the start of the pandemic. Child hospitalization reaches record highs amid the surge in Omicron. It’s not yet clear if people need a COVID-19 booster each year, even though CEOs of some pharmaceutical companies have indicated that a fourth dose may be needed, he said in an interview. ..
“We’ve just boosted people lately. We’ll see if boosters give them some protection durability and they should actually be the standard regimen for 3 mRNAs and 2 J & Js.” Fauci said in an interview. NBC news published on Thursday.
“Or-and it’s a big’or’for now-do we need to boost people every year or so?” He continued.
Fauci was happy that the original ancestral strain of COVID-19 was used in the development of the COVID-19 vaccine, but “fortunately, [strains] They were different, they weren’t so different that the vaccine didn’t cover it well. “— Omicron confused the situation.
“We were very successful with the primary vaccination and boost by Delta, then all of the sudden Omicrons came,” Fauci told the network. “And when we look at the effectiveness against Delta vs. Omicron, it drops to about 30 percent.”
Infectious disease guru said they wanted an ideally effective vaccine against all types of COVID-19 mutants.
Please check this out for details.
“PHARMABRO” banned for a lifetime
Martin Shkreli of Pharmabro, who drastically raised the price of the life-saving drug Dalaprim, was told by a judge on Friday that he could no longer work in the pharmaceutical industry and ordered him to pay nearly $ 65 million in net. Was done. Benefit from his cheating. ”
US District Judge Denise Court called on his plan to raise the price of Dalaprim “especially ruthless and intimidating” in her decision on Friday.
“He ironically took advantage of the requirements of the federal regulatory system designed to protect the health of the country by giving the public access to drugs that are both effective and safe. “Cole said in her decision.
In her strong remorse, Cole also stated that Sukureli did not express any remorse for his actions. “The risk of recurrence here is real,” she said.
“Sukleri’s anti-competitive acts at the expense of public health were terribly reckless. He does not repent. Excluding him from the opportunity to repeat the acts is nothing but for the benefit of justice. “Cole said.
Please check this out for details.
Rapid increase in cases at long-term care facilities
Cases of coronavirus in long-term care facilities surged in three weeks due to the Omicron mutant.
The American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the National Center for Assisted Living, which represents more than 14,000 nursing homes nationwide, have found a surge in cases between December 19th and January 9th.
There were 4,361 cases of COVID-19 in the long-term care facility on December 19, and 32,061 cases on January 9. For nursing home staff, the number of cases increased from 5,919 on December 19 to 57,243 on January 9.
“As soon as Omicron news was reported in December, we were so worried that this variant would lead to a surge in cases in the United States, so the number of cases in nursing homes increased. AHCA and the National Center for Support and Lifestyle Said.
“We urged members of the nation to help protect the elderly in our country prior to the holiday season, and we repeat that plea today. At our forefront. Help caregivers protect the most vulnerable people by supporting them, vaccination, boosting and masking, “he added.
The group reported that the mortality rate of nursing home residents in December 2021 was one-tenth that of 2020, with vaccines and booster shots for reduced severity.
Please check this out for details.
What we are reading
- No one knows how much older people can afford for the new Alzheimer’s disease drug (Stat)
- As the number of Omicrons surges, efforts to vaccinate infants are stalled (Kaiser Health News).
- Obamacare’s open registration will end on Saturday due to a surge in interest (CNN)
State by state
- Schools in Texas struggle to stay open because teachers and bus drivers are ill with COVID-19 (Texas Tribune).
- Governor Charlie Baker announces urgent action as Massachusetts hospital suffers from COVID surge (mass live)
- New Virginia Governor Youngkin lifts school maskman date and changes COVID policy (NBC Washington)
That’s it for today. Thank you for reading. Check out Hill’s Healthcare page for the latest news and coverage. See you on monday.
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