Category: Public Health

‘We’re playing with fire’: Lawmaker urges action on fight against superbugs

Lawmakers may miss a crucial window to pass legislation to address the proliferation of drug-resistant infections, also known as superbugs, Politico reported Oct. 2.

Only 49% of Americans plan to get flu shot amid threat of severe season, survey finds

While 69 percent of Americans agree flu vaccination is the best preventive measure against flu-related deaths, only 49 percent are planning on getting a shot this season, a new survey from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases found.

New omicron relatives make up nearly 20% of US cases: 4 updates

As BA.5 slowly descends, a collection of omicron relatives now make up 18.7 percent of U.S. COVID-19 cases, according to the CDC’s latest variant proportion estimates. 

Nursing Home Surprise: Advantage Plans May Shorten Stays to Less Time Than Medicare Covers

Private Medicare Advantage health plans are increasingly ending coverage for skilled nursing or rehab services before medical providers think patients are healthy enough to go home, doctors and patient advocates say.

Viewpoint: Wastewater surveillance raises privacy, consent questions

The accuracy of wastewater surveillance, which can track a sample to somewhere as specific as a home, raises ethical questions regarding privacy and consent, Fortune reported Oct. 2.

A look at New York’s battle against 3 disease outbreaks 

Public health officials across New York are attempting to cope with the threat of three simultaneous disease outbreaks — COVID-19, monkeypox and polio — which emphasizes how the nation’s public health infrastructure is not equipped to handle multiple o…

50% of Americans know little or nothing about omicron boosters: KFF survey

Updated omicron boosters have been available since late August, though just 17 percent of Americans say they have heard “a lot” about the updated shots, according to Kaiser Family Foundation’s latest COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor survey. 

US COVID-19 cases to jump 10% in next 2 weeks, Mayo forecasts

While COVID-19 cases have been falling for more than 10 consecutive weeks, modeling from Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic suggests this trend will reverse over the next few weeks.

Hospital leaders meet at White House to talk ‘twindemic’ strategies

Federal health officials held a meeting with leaders from 10 health systems and groups on Sept. 29 to discuss mitigation strategies ahead of a likely COVID-19 surge and severe flu season this fall. 

Severe Sleep Apnea Diagnosis Panics Reporter Until He Finds a Simple, No-Cost Solution

An industry has grown up around sleep apnea, stirring concerns about overdiagnosis and overtreatment.