 | Fri, Dec 09, 2022 | | | |
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Think a friend or colleague should be getting this newsletter? Share this link with them to sign up. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week encouraged people to mask up over the holidays as Covid, flu and RSV circulate at high levels simultaneously. Flu hospitalizations are at a decade high, and Covid admissions are increasing in the wake of Thanksgiving. Children's hospitals last month called on the Biden administration to declare a public health emergency in response to a surge of RSV in kids younger than age 5. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, in a call with reporters on Monday, encouraged people to wear high-quality, well-fitting masks to slow the spread of respiratory illnesses this winter. The CDC quickly signed off on omicron shots for children as young as six months old this week, a day after the Food and Drug Administration authorized them. Although U.S. health officials don't expect a massive Covid surge on the scale of last winter, the high levels of flu and RSV at the same time as Covid are putting major strain on hospital emergency departments.
Feel free to send any tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to me at spencer.kimball@nbcuni.com.
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The Centers for Disease Control Prevention on Monday encouraged people to wear masks to help reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses this season as Covid, flu and RSV circulate at the same time.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, in a call with reporters, said wearing a mask is one of several everyday precautions that people can take to reduce their chances of catching or spreading a respiratory virus during the busy holiday season. "We also encourage you to wear a high-quality, well-fitting mask to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses," said Walensky, adding that people living in areas with high levels of Covid transmission should especially consider masking. |
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Covid and flu hospitalizations are increasing, while respiratory syncytial virus appears to be retreating in some states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday. As millions of people prepare to travel and gather for the holidays, public health officials are concerned that the worst is still ahead. |
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The most immune-evasive omicron subvariants yet are now causing more than 70% of new infections in the U.S., as millions of Americans prepare to travel and gather with family for the holidays.
The BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 subvariants taken together are now responsible for 68% of new cases, according to data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday. The XBB subvariant is causing 4.7% of new Covid infections. |
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday signed off on omicron vaccines for children as young as 6 months old, giving pharmacies and physicians the green light to start administering the shots.
Children ages 6 months through 5 years old who received the two-dose Moderna primary series can now get an omicron booster two months after their second dose. Meanwhile, kids ages 6 months through 4 years old who are completing their Pfizer primary series will received the omicron shot as their third dose. |
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There remain many unknowns about long Covid, including causes, cures, even how to define it. But this much is clear: The illness is disabling thousands, perhaps millions, of workers to such an extent that they must throttle back hours or leave the workforce altogether.
In other words, at a time when job openings are near an all-time high, long Covid is reducing the supply of people able to fill those positions. The dynamic may have large and adverse effects on the U.S. economy. |
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So far, an effective treatment for Alzheimer's has been elusive. But, what happens if and when we do get something that works? It will be a challenge akin to the pandemic to pay for what will likely be a 7-figure drug for millions of people. I put the question to a panel at the Milken Institute Future of Health Summit this week. Humana CEO Bruce Broussard says European health systems are better prepared than the U.S. because they're able to pay over several years; Medicare and employer plans will need to move toward that model for a widely-used Alzheimer's drug. The discussion gets lively at about 30 minutes into the session. |
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Former Theranos Chief Operating Officer and President Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani was sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison Wednesday for fraud, after the unraveling of the blood-testing juggernaut prompted criminal charges in California federal court against both Balwani and Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, who on Nov. 18 was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison.
During the sentencing hearing, attorneys for Balwani attempted to pin the blame on Holmes, telling U.S. District Court Judge Edward J. Davila that "decisions were made by Elizabeth Holmes." |
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Pfizer has rejected allegations made by rival Moderna that its Covid-19 vaccine is a copy, accusing the Boston biotech company of rewriting history to lay claim to technology developed by a field of scientists over many years.
Pfizer asked a federal court in Massachusetts on Monday to dismiss Moderna's lawsuit seeking monetary damages for alleged patent violations related to the Boston company's Covid vaccine. Pfizer asked the court to stop Moderna from suing it or its partners again over three alleged patent infringements. |
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