In about a week, the prevalence of omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 grew more than 50 percent, according to the latest CDC variant proportion estimates.
Category: Public Health
Ending Involuntary Commitments Would Shift Burden of Dementia Care to Strapped Communities
Health department officials anticipate having to transfer two dozen patients from the Montana State Hospital to another state-run facility if a bill to end involuntary commitments passes.
Ask Voters Directly, and Abortion Rights Wins Most Ballot Fights
This is shaping up as a critical year in the country’s battle over abortion rights, as both sides struggle to define a new status quo after the Supreme Court struck down the nearly half-century-old constitutional right last year. It is important not to misread what happened in 2022. After a 6-3 majority of justices overturned […]
When will long COVID-19 symptoms ease? New study offers clues
Most long COVID-19 symptoms among people who had a mild infection ease within a year, according to findings published Jan. 11 in The BMJ.
Childhood vaccination rates fall for 2nd year
Routine childhood vaccinations fell nationwide during the 2021-22 school year and sat below target levels for the second consecutive year, the CDC reported Jan. 13.
GOP House Opens With Abortion Agenda
Leaders of the new Republican-led U.S. House kicked off their legislative agenda with two bills supported by anti-abortion groups. While neither is likely to become law, the move demonstrates how abortion will continue to be an issue in Washington. Meanwhile, as open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act nears its end in most states, the number of Americans covered by the plans hits a new high. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.
Why XBB.1.5 will not get a Greek letter: WHO
The XBB.1.5 omicron subvariant does not warrant its own Greek letter name — at least not yet — because data suggests it is behaving similarly to other omicron sublineages in terms of transmissibility, severity, immune escape and its effect on intervent…
Despite Doctors’ Concerns, University of California Renews Ties With Religious Affiliates
The public university’s health system is renewing contracts with outside hospitals and clinics even as some doctors and faculty say clearer language is needed to protect physicians performing abortions and gender-affirming treatments.
Bleeding and in Pain, a Pregnant Woman in Louisiana Couldn’t Get Answers
How one Louisiana woman experiencing a miscarriage sought care amid a climate of fear and confusion among doctors fueled by that state’s restrictive abortion law.
Biology may play a role in why respiratory infections are more common in cold temps
Researchers have found cold temperatures may diminish an immune response in the nose, a possible explanation for why upper respiratory infections are more common in cold weather.
