The CDC released its latest Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System study April 28. Here are 16 things to know from the research that spanned 2021 — when many high schools were operating virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic:
Category: Public Health
Subvariant trends, hospital reporting: 4 COVID-19 updates
Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16 continues its growth path in the U.S., with the latest CDC estimates showing it accounts for nearly 12 percent of cases.
Obesity increased over COVID-19: Here’s why patients are worried
Millions of Americans are more worried than ever about obesity. And millions are willing to consider weight-loss methods they never had before, including metabolic and bariatric surgery and anti-obesity medications. The reason: a pandemic that put thos…
US biosafety and pathogen research needs more oversight, experts say
A U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee met April 27 to hear insight and recommendations from a panel of expert witnesses on how to improve U.S. biosafety and pathogen research in light of concerns surrounding the origins of COVID-19 stemming from…
CDC investigates rise in mysterious brain abscesses among Nevada kids
Southern Nevada saw cases of rare, serious brain abscesses among children triple in 2022. Now the CDC is investigating what caused the increase, according to an April 28 report from CNN.
How to Increase Your Social Network as You Age
As your circle of close friends shrinks, there are ways to rebuild — but not replace — the social network you had when you were younger.
CDC to trim hospital COVID-19 reporting rules: 2 notes
The CDC plans to reduce the number of COVID-19 data elements hospitals must report upon termination of the COVID-19 public health emergency May 11.
COVID-19 in the short and long term: 3 thoughts from Dr. Peter Hotez
Ahead of the May 11 end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, Peter Hotez, MD, PhD, the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Houston-based Baylor College of Medicine, told the Houston Chronicle April 27 that emerging variants, vaccine…
Dancing Under the Debt Ceiling
House Republicans passed their plan to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, along with major cuts to health (and other domestic) programs. Unlikely to become law, it calls for new work requirements for adults on Medicaid. Meanwhile, state efforts targeting trans people bear a striking resemblance to the fight against abortion rights. Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Renuka Rayasam, who reported the latest KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature, about a specialist’s demand to be paid as much as $15,000 before treating a woman’s serious pregnancy complication.
As US Life Expectancy Falls, Experts Cite the Health Impacts of Incarceration
In a nation with one of the highest incarceration rates in the world, imprisonment speeds the aging process, research shows. Some experts complain the federal government isn’t collecting or releasing data that could identify disease patterns and prevent deaths.
