Increasing COVID-19 booster administration this fall could save up to 160,000 lives and prevent more than 1 million hospitalizations, according to an Oct. 5 analysis from the Commonwealth Fund.
Category: Public Health
Don’t be surprised if a new variant emerges this winter: Fauci
A new COVID-19 variant could pop up in the coming months, as winter poses a risk for an uptick in respiratory illnesses, Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in an Oct. 4 interview with the USC …
$80,000 and 5 ER Visits: An Ectopic Pregnancy Takes a Toll Despite NY’s Liberal Abortion Law
If an embryo has implanted in a fallopian tube, ending the pregnancy is imperative to protect the patient’s life. Women’s health advocates have raised concerns that the needed treatment may be hampered by restrictive abortion laws in some states. Yet women seeking treatment in states with more liberal abortion laws may still find the process expensive and harrowing.
‘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.
