Welcome to Friday’s Overnight HealthcareWe are following up on the latest developments in policies and news that affect your health. Subscribe here: thehill.com/newsletter-signup..
The DC Council will not vote on whether Mayor Bauser will reinstate vaccination obligations in restaurants and bars that have abruptly ended. The bill was withdrawn without sufficient support.
Surgeon Chief Bibek Mercy
Vivek MurthyThe Hill’s Morning Report-Biden on Russia: Distrustful, confirming that the surgeon’s 4-year-old daughter is positive in COVID-19 California and maintains her school mask obligations until the end of the month. He tested positive for COVID-19 and said nothing could completely eliminate your risk.
In the case of Hill, we are Peter Sullivan (psullivan@thehill.com) And Nathaniel Weixel (nweixel@thehill.com). Write us with tips and feedback and follow us on Twitter: @ PeterSullivan4 When @NateWeixel
let’s start.
COVID-19 positive surgeon general examination
Surgeon Chief Bibek Mercy A few days after he said his 4-year-old daughter was infected with the virus, he announced on Friday that he tested positive for COVID-19.
Mercy I wrote on Twitter His wife and his five-year-old son were also positive for the virus and had “mild symptoms.” He added that his daughter was “ok” and her fever was improving.
Mercy took this opportunity to look back on the implications of being infected with the virus after paying attention.
“Our safety measures reduce risk, but we can’t eliminate it. We can’t do anything,” he tweeted.
“Obtaining COVID-19 can be frustrating and disappointing when you are as safe as possible,” he wrote. “I felt it. It can also be a source of shame. I think many people must have been careless about getting sick.”
Mercy’s 4-year-old daughter was too young to be vaccinated, and the timeline for vaccination approval for that age group was recently postponed to collect more data on the third vaccination. .. Delays are a source of frustration for some parents.
Please check this out for details.
Political parties promoted the use of unproven drugs
The use of two unproven COVID-19 treatments in late 2020 was higher in counties with a higher proportion of Republican voters, suggesting significant political differences in medical decision-making, according to a study published Friday. doing.
According to a study published Friday in the JAMA Internal Medicine Journal, hydroxychloroquine prescriptions from June to December 2020 were about double the previous year, with prescriptions at least 150 percent higher in most Republican counties.
The Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for this drug in late March 2020, but it was revoked within three months. Prescriptions have more than doubled in counties with the largest share of Republican voters after the FDA revoked approval.
Ivermectin is the most frequently used antiparasitic drug in veterinary medicine, but it is approved for use in humans to treat head lice, roundworm infections, and other parasitic conditions.
This drug is not approved for treatment with COVID-19 and there is no evidence that it can be treated. However, it has gained support among anti-vaccine groups and right-wing politicians, with prescriptions in December 2020 more than 950 percent higher than the lowest in most Republican counties.
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FACEBOOK Whistleblower: The company misunderstood investors with a false alarm on COVID
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen Two new claims to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that technology giants have allegedly misled investors in efforts to mitigate the spread of false information about climate change and COVID-19. I have filed a complaint.
The allegations are based on Haugen’s broader efforts to sound a warning about her ex-employer through SEC complaints. The first complaint against Facebook was filed in October.
A new complaint was filed this month with the help of a whistleblower, a non-profit organization representing Hogen. The Washington Post reported..
The complaint alleges that Facebook, now under the parent company Meta, has made a “significant misrepresentation and omission of a statement to investors” regarding efforts to combat false information, and an edited copy of the document. Was quoted and reported.
Complaints claim that Facebook’s internal documents “tell another story” about efforts to combat false information about COVID-19, but official statements from the company and executives remove harmful and false information. I promised that, the post reported.
Meta-spokesman Drew Pusateri promoted Facebook’s policy on COVID-19 and false information about climate. This includes removing “false claims about vaccines” and guiding users to “trusted” information centers on both topics.
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73% of Americans are immune to Omicron
According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation model, an estimated 73% of Americans are now immune to the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Associated Press report.
The organization calculated a news agency estimate and noted that the immunity rate could reach about 80% in mid-March.
According to experts, this type of exposure helps Americans manage infections better, leaving room for medical facilities to breathe after the intensive care unit has been overwhelmed in recent months.
“We are exposed to this virus and we know how to deal with it,” Ali Mokudad, a professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, told AP.
Nearly 80 million coronavirus infections have been seen in the United States since the outbreak of the pandemic, and that number is arguably underestimated. About 931,000 people died of the disease.
Most Americans also receive the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shots.
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Three milk powders recalled after FDA warning
Abbott Nutrition announced Thursday that it had recovered three of its infant formulas after four babies who consumed the company’s products were hospitalized and one died.
All babies are reported to have consumed Similac, Alimentum, and EleCare manufactured at the Sturgis facility in Abbott, Michigan. The Drastic recall Comes in a widespread shortage of infant formula.
Abbott said evidence of Cronobacter Sakazaki was found in the plant. Cronobacter infections are rare but at particular risk for newborns.
“All four cases related to these complaints were hospitalized, and Cronobacter may have contributed to death in one case,” the FDA said.
The FDA said it had begun testing the Sturges facility in response to the illness, but it was not specified when the test was done.
“Because this is the only product used as the sole source of nutrition for many newborns and infants in our country, the FDA is deeply concerned about reports of these bacterial infections,” said Frank, Deputy Director of Food Policy and Response, FDA.・ Iannas said in a statement.
Click here for details..
What we are reading
- Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for children has so far not worked well against Omicron, delaying the FDA’s review (The Wall Street Journal).
- The FDA learned that there was a suspicion of infant formula four months before the recall (Politico).
- Covid still threatens millions of Americans. Why do we want to move on? ((((Kaiser Health News).
State by state
- In Missouri, it takes months to process a Medicaid application — longer than legally permitted (Kaiser Health News).
- Kemp breaks plans for a $ 13 million opioid settlement (Bardosta Daily Times).
- Governor Ige responds to KITV4 about when Hawaii will dismiss Mask’s mission (KITV 4).
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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