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☆ Teenage Girls Were Behind a Surge in Mental Health Hospitalizations
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Ellen Barry | More About Ellen Barry | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

As the coronavirus pandemic dragged through its second year, an increasing number of American families were so desperate to get help for depressed or suicidal children that they brought them to emergency rooms. A large-scale analysis of private insurance claims shows that this surge in acute mental health crises was driven largely by a single group — girls aged 13 to 17. During the second year of the pandemic, there was a 22 percent increase in teenage girls who visited emergency rooms with a mental health emergency compared with a prepandemic baseline, with rises in patients with suicidal behavior and eating disorders, according to the study of 4.1 million patients published on Wednesday in JAMA Psychiatry. During the same period, March 2021 to March 2022, the records showed a 9 percent drop in teenage boys who made emergency room visits for mental health problems.

Organizations: Psychiatry

☆ Raw Milk Is Being Legalized in More States. Is It Safe?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Dani Blum | More About Dani Blum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On July 1, Iowa officially became one of more than two dozen states that have legalized the sale of raw milk, or milk that has not been pasteurized. Over the past decade, a growing number of states have made raw milk more accessible, said Dennis D’Amico, an associate professor of animal science at the University of Connecticut. Some of those states, including Iowa, allow raw milk producers to sell their products directly to consumers; others allow grocery stores to sell such products, and some states allow raw milk to be sold only as pet food. But federal health experts have linked those new laws with increasing food-borne illness outbreaks associated with raw milk. Between 2013 and 2018, the agency reported, states that had legalized the sale of raw milk at retail stores had three times as many outbreaks as states that prohibited such sales.

Persons: Dennis D’Amico Organizations: University of Connecticut, Centers for Disease Control, Prevention Locations: Iowa, United States

☆ Federal Officials Hatch a Three-Pronged Defense Against Another ‘Tripledemic’
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Apoorva Mandavilli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To prevent a repeat of last winter’s “tripledemic” of respiratory illnesses, Americans will be encouraged to roll up their sleeves not just for flu shots but for two other vaccines, one of them entirely new. Federal health officials have already asked manufacturers to produce reformulated Covid vaccines to be distributed later this year. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took an additional step, endorsing two new vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus for older Americans. The three shots — flu, Covid and R.S.V. But there are uncertainties about how the vaccines are best administered, who is most likely to benefit, and what the risks may be.

Persons: ”, Ofer Levy Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, Boston Children’s Hospital, Food and Drug Administration Locations: Federal

☆ Three Vaccines for Fall: What You Need to Know
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Apoorva Mandavilli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Most Americans have had one or more shots of the flu and Covid vaccines. Federal health officials are hoping that widespread use of these three vaccines will head off another “tripledemic” of respiratory illnesses, like the one seen last winter. Here’s what he and other experts say about who should receive which vaccines, and when. What respiratory illnesses are coming our way? are all likely to resurge this fall, but exactly when and how much damage they will do are unknown.

Persons: ”, Ofer Levy Organizations: Boston Children’s Hospital, Food and Drug Administration Locations: hospitalizations

☆ Overuse of marijuana linked to surgery complications and death, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Clinical overuse of marijuana is linked to a variety of complications after major elective surgery, including blood clots, stroke, breathing difficulties, kidney issues and even death, a new study found. Compared with people who were not overly dependent or addicted to marijuana, those with cannabis use disorder were more likely to suffer complications from those surgeries. The most significant associations were for blockages of coronary arteries, stroke, injury to the kidneys, blood clots, breathing complications, infection and in-hospital death, the study found. People with cannabis use disorder also stayed in the hospital longer and had higher hospital bills than people without the disorder. “In the context of increasing cannabis use rates, our findings support preoperative screening for cannabis use disorder,” the authors wrote.

Persons: Hannes P, Albert Organizations: CNN, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center, National Institute on Drug Abuse Locations: Houston

☆ Pfizer, GSK RSV shots for older adults may prevent thousands of hospitalizations, CDC analysis says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Vaccinating one million adults ages 65 and above with a single RSV shot from Pfizer or GSK may prevent thousands of hospitalizations over two seasons of the virus, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis. The committee recommended that adults ages 60 and older may receive one dose of Pfizer's or GSK's respiratory syncytial virus shot after consulting their doctor. The analysis also found that vaccinating one million adults in the same age group with one dose of GSK's shot may prevent roughly 2,300 hospitalizations and 23,000 outpatient visits. Each year, RSV hospitalizes 60,000 to 160,000 older adults and kills 6,000 to 10,000, according to CDC data. Last year, cases of RSV – along with Covid and the flu – in children and older adults overwhelmed hospitals across the nation.

Persons: Michael Melgar Organizations: Pfizer, GSK, Centers for Disease Control, University of Michigan, Northern Hemisphere

☆ Pfizer RSV vaccine for older adults is only slightly less effective after 18 months
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Pfizer 's vaccine that protects adults ages 60 and older from respiratory syncytial virus was slightly less effective after 18 months, according to clinical trial results the company announced Wednesday. The data is from New York-based Pfizer's clinical trial on more than 34,000 older adults over two RSV seasons, or 24 months. The vaccine was roughly 49% effective against the same condition with two or more symptoms after 18 months, according to Pfizer. Anderson said studies are ongoing, and so is research evaluating the shot's efficacy in older adults with weak immune systems. RSV kills 6,000 to 10,000 older adults and hospitalizes 60,000 to 160,000 of them every year, according to the CDC.

Persons: Pfizer's, It's, Annaliesa Anderson, Anderson, Pfizer hasn't Organizations: Pfizer, Northern, That's, Centers for Disease Control, and Drug Administration, GlaxoSmithKline, CNBC, CDC Locations: New York, U.S

☆ Inside your company's struggle over whether to pay for hot, new weight-loss drugs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Americans are clamoring for new weight-loss drugs, but companies aren't rushing to pay for them. At most, half of US employers help pay for weight-loss drugs for their workers, according to several estimates. "The drug companies, providers, and patient groups are insisting that weight loss will improve health and therefore offset these massive costs. Known as GLP-1 agonists, the drugs — Wegovy and Ozempic from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly's Mounjaro — mimic a gut hormone known as glucagon-like peptide 1, helping to suppress people's appetites and slow their digestion. Brent Eberle, the chief pharmacy officer at Navitus, said very few of the employers that worked with his pharmacy-benefit manager paid for weight-loss drugs.

Persons: that's, They're, AJ Loiacono, Li Ran, James Gelfand, Eli Lilly's, Ozempic, drugmakers, Brent Eberle, Navitus, Eberle, it's, Pat Gleason, Gleason, Wegovy, Eli Lilly, Lilly, Florian Gaertner, Loiacono Organizations: Morning, Novo Nordisk, Getty, Workers, Drugmakers, Therapeutics, Blue, Mayo Clinic, and Drug Administration, Capital Locations: Novo, Xinhua

☆ How Palantir is helping hospitals with tasks that used to require spreadsheets and whiteboards
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

In this article PLTR Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTThe Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S., on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020. The Cleveland Clinic was in the midst of trying new AI-powered software from Palantir . But by accurately predicting patient discharges, Palantir's system saved Pappas, her team and the emergency department a lot of time and effort. Palantir partnered with two health-care systems, Cleveland Clinic and Tampa General Hospital in Florida, during the summer of 2021 to develop software called Palantir for Hospital Operations. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Schedule review within Palantir for Hospital Operations Palantir

Persons: Dustin Franz, Rita Pappas, Pappas, —, Palantir, Shyam Sankar, Sankar, Alex Karp, Dr, Peggy Duggan, Drew Goldstein, Jeremy David, Palantir Drew Goldstein, Palantir's, I'm, David, Goldstein, whiteboards, Drew didn't, They've Organizations: Cleveland Clinic, Ohio Department of Health, Bloomberg, Getty Images Bloomberg, Getty, Cleveland, CNBC, Tampa General Hospital, Hospital Operations, U.S, Intelligence, Hospital Operations Palantir Nurses, American Medical Association . Companies, Tampa General, Cleveland Clinic's, Microsoft Locations: Cleveland , Ohio, U.S, Ohio, Tampa, Florida, Palantir, Florida and Ohio

☆ F.D.A. Panel Advises Vaccine Makers to Aim at Only One Covid Variant
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Christina Jewett | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The bivalent shots offered last fall included protection against the Omicron variant and an early Covid variant. is expected to make a more official recommendation to vaccine makers soon. The manufacturers will be expected to study the new formulas and submit data to the agency. spokesman said it expected that an updated vaccine would be available by late September, assuming the data support safe and effective vaccines. It remains unclear whether or when the vaccine makers or the F.D.A.

Persons: ”, Peter Marks, Natalie Thornburg Organizations: Pfizer, Moderna, Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization, Agency Locations: United States

☆ Uber is going toe-to-toe with Instacart in a bet that delivering groceries can cut healthcare costs by billions
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Uber is adding groceries and over-the-counter medical items to its Uber Health services. Uber on Tuesday said that it plans to work with health plans and providers to prescribe food as medicine. Instacart in March launched digital tools to allow doctors to prescribe food the way they might prescribe a medication. Caitlin Donovan, global head of Uber Health Uber HealthHealthier eating members could have major financial implications for insurers. "When you combine demand for healthcare services with the core competencies of Uber with the ability to do good, I think that's a very powerful confirmation that speaks to why Uber Health is part of Uber," Donovan said.

Persons: Uber, Andreessen Horowitz, Caitlin Donovan, Donovan, It's, Dara Khosrowshahi, Leigh Vogel, Uber's Organizations: Uber Health, Instacart, Kroger, Health, Getty, Uber

☆ UPS workers will get air conditioned trucks, after years of heat-related hospitalizations and even baking cookies on their dashboards
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Madeline Berg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Some UPS drivers have been hospitalized due to heat-related problems. "We're dying out here," one UPS driver told Insider at the time. In 2019, NBC News tallied 107 heat-related hospitalizations of UPS workers over a four-year period starting in 2015. At the time, UPS told Insider that it provided extensive training on how to deal with heat. But according to the agreement, all newly purchased small package delivery trucks in the US will have air conditioning starting next year.

Persons: Esteban Chavez Jr, We're, Matthew O'Connor Organizations: Teamsters, UPS, NBC, Democratic Union Locations: Arizona, New York

☆ Wildfire smoke: Should people still be worried about health effects? Our medical analyst explains
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Katia Hetter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

More than 75 million people in the eastern US were under air quality alerts as wildfire smoke shrouded major cities. People with chronic lung and heart conditions should continue to monitor air quality, CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen said. CNN: What are the short-term health effects of wildfire smoke inhalation? And there is research that has linked wildfire smoke exposure events to an increase in influenza months later, suggesting that there could be lagging effects. CNN: If people were exposed for a few days to bad air quality, should they be worried about long-term consequences?

Persons: Leana Wen, Wen, we’ve, Mandel Ngan Organizations: CNN, UN, Program, George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, Getty Locations: Canada, York, Washington, AFP

Silvio Berlusconi, the billionaire media mogul who served as Italian prime minister multiple times between 1994 and 2011, has died. Berlusconi died at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, according to local media. Berlusconi's extensive political career included appointments as Italian prime minister from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006 and 2008 to 2011. His Forza Italia party is currently a junior partner in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's ruling right-wing coalition. The former Italian leader had promised — but failed — to sell his assets in the media company when he was prime minister.

Persons: Silvio Berlusconi, Berlusconi, Giorgia Meloni's, —, Karima Organizations: San Raffaele Hospital, CNBC, Forza Italia, Italian soccer, AC Milan, Italy's Locations: Milan, Italian

☆ Australia’s having an intense flu season, and it could be a signal of what’s to come in the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —It’s only June, but scientists in the US are already thinking about flu season. As always at this time of year, they’re keeping a close eye on Australia, which saw an early start to its flu season. “We closely monitor what happens in countries throughout the Southern Hemisphere this time of year, just to see what’s happening during their flu season. If many people opt out of the flu vaccine, cases could rise. So while Reed and her colleagues will be watching Australia’s flu numbers and running their calculations, it’s still not totally clear what 2023’s flu season will bring for the US.

Persons: CNN — It’s, don’t, Care, It’s, ”, Carrie Reed, Reed, “ We’ve, Thomas McAndrew, “, Taylor Swift, ” McAndrew, William Schaffner, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, –, it’s, ” Reed Organizations: CNN, Australian Department of Health, US Centers for Disease Control, CDC, Department of Community, Population Health, Lehigh University . “, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, CNN Health, World Health Organization, agency’s Department of Health, Care Locations: Australia, Southern, Chicago, agency’s

☆ FDA advisors recommend AstraZeneca, Sanofi antibody to protect babies from RSV
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

If the FDA approves nirsevimab, the antibody would become the first medical intervention available in the U.S. that can protect all infants from RSV. Nirsevimab is a monoclonal antibody made by AstraZeneca. Infants hospitalized with RSV often require oxygen support, intravenous fluids and are sometimes placed on a ventilator to support their breathing. There is another monoclonal antibody used against RSV called palivizumab. Nirsevimab is not considered a vaccine because it is a monoclonal antibody.

Persons: Infants, Biden, Palivizumab, Nirsevimab Organizations: Food and Drug Administration, FDA, AstraZeneca, Sanofi, Children Locations: U.S, Nirsevimab, United States, Canada, Europe, United Kingdom

The average May temperature in Hanoi is 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit). “Which is why a humid heat wave is more dangerous than a dry heat wave,” she told CNN. This is above a threshold considered dangerous, especially for people with health problems or those not used to extreme heat. In Thailand, 20 days in April and at least 10 days in May reached feels-like temperatures above 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit). Throughout April and May, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia all had several days with potential to cause extreme heat stress.

Persons: ”, ” Phong, Dinh Van Hung, ” Dinh, Nhac Nguyen, Maximiliano Herrera, Herrera, Mariam Zachariah, Cyclone Mocha, ” Zachariah, Chaya Vaddhanaphuti, ” Emmanuel Raju, ” Raju, Madaree Tohlala, “ Nui, “, ” Nui, Andre Malerba, Chaya, –, Chintanaphone, Boua Seng, Lobia Yaw, Thongsouk, hasn’t Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, Getty, ” Workers, Imperial College London, WWA, Chiang Mai University, Copenhagen Center for Disaster Research, Labour Organization, Farmers, Weather, Lao Farmer Network Locations: Hong Kong, Hanoi, Vietnam, Dong Da district, “, Hanoi , Vietnam, AFP, Dinh, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Asia, Thai, Narathiwat, Bangkok, ”

☆ How to stay healthy this summer, according to an expert
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Katia Hetter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Stay healthy so you can have fun all summer with family and friends. Maskot/Getty ImagesCNN: What should people consider as they aim to have fun and stay healthy this summer? How can people prevent Lyme disease, and why is this important? Wen: Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. Short-term, Lyme disease manifests as muscle aches, joint pain, fever, rash and headaches.

Persons: they’ve, Leana Wen, Wen, Maskot, Lyme, don’t, enteroviruses, Enteroviruses Organizations: CNN, George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, Getty, US Centers for Disease Control Locations: Lyme, enterovirus, United States, Covid

☆ Human metapneumovirus: Doctors say this is the most important virus you’ve never heard of
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Cases of human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, spiked this spring, according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s respiratory virus surveillance systems. An underestimated threatStudies show that HMPV causes as much misery in the US each year as the flu and a closely related virus, RSV. Like those infections, HMPV can lead to intensive care and fatal cases of pneumonia in older adults. Leigh Davidson caught human metapneumovirus during a family celebration in early April. The new virus was dubbed human metapneumovirus.

If your school suspends your financial aid, you may be able to appeal the decision and get it back. Many schools require that students maintain a minimum GPA and complete a minimum number of credits per semester to qualify for financial aid." "They know that if students get less financial aid, then they will be less likely to stay and graduate." Components of a financial aid suspension appeal letterThe exact financial aid suspension appeal process varies by college, but your school may have a form you'll need to fill out to get the ball rolling. Financial aid suspension appeal letter exampleYou'll want to format your appeal letter much like a cover letter — with a header, date, and formal greeting.

☆ FDA grants full approval to Pfizer Covid treatment Paxlovid for high-risk adults
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday granted full approval to Pfizer's Covid antiviral pill, Paxlovid, for adults who are at high risk of getting severely sick with the virus. The FDA first made Paxlovid available in December 2021 under emergency use authorization for high-risk individuals ages 12 and up. Both Pfizer and the FDA view the treatment as an important complementary tool to vaccination that can help high-risk Americans manage their Covid infections and ultimately save lives. For some doctors, another area of concern is Paxlovid "rebound cases." That's when patients who take the treatment see their Covid symptoms return or test positive shortly after they initially recover.

☆ Medicare is prohibited from paying for weight-loss drugs. These are the 3 potential ways to change that.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

There are three routes lawmakers and regulators could use to add coverage for weight-loss drugs. Older Americans hoping to get their hands on powerful weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy may find it impossible to access them. Should Medicare cover weight loss medication, it could also unlock access for people who have private coverage. "A decision by Medicare to cover weight-loss drugs would put pressure on employers and other private insurers to cover weight-loss drugs too," said Tricia Neuman, a senior vice president at KFF who co-authored a recent brief on the subject. There are three potential strategies that could be used to expand Medicare coverage to weight-loss drugs.

☆ Opinion: A boast that could sink Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. CNN —“I’m the one that got rid of Roe v. Wade,” former President Donald Trump boasted Tuesday on Newsmax. Congress has the power to rein in the court, wrote CNN legal analyst and law professor Steve Vladeck, whose new book “The Shadow Docket” focuses on the Supreme Court. Courtesy Boaz FreundIn 2019, then-President Trump issued an executive order requiring hospitals to post the prices of common medical services and procedures. For some, its celebration of a multiracial but purely fictional British aristocracy may even be a big part of its appeal.”As escapism, “Queen Charlotte” is a success.

☆ U.S. Covid public health emergency ends, leaving behind a battered health system
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. public health emergency declared in response to Covid-19 comes to an end Thursday more than three years after the pandemic began. The Biden administration's decision to end the emergency comes as deaths and hospitalizations have declined dramatically due to the availability of vaccines, antiviral treatments and widespread exposure to the virus. The end of the emergency will bring significant changes in how the U.S. responds to the virus. After the emergency ends, the CDC will no longer be able to compel labs to report Covid test results. While public health experts agree the U.S. has many more tools to fight Covid today, they warn the virus will remain a persistent threat to the elderly, the vulnerable and the nation's fragmented, battered health-care system.

WASHINGTON, May 5 (Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Friday it would stop reporting or monitoring COVID-19 case data and transmission rates after the government ends the pandemic's public health emergency designation next week. The government on May 11 will end the COVID-19 public health emergency that allowed millions of Americans to receive vaccines, tests, and treatments at no cost during the pandemic. "The changes that we're discussing today are happening because the end of the Public Health Emergency means that CDC will have less authority to collect certain types of public health data," said CDC Principal Deputy Director Dr. Nirav Shah. The CDC will continue to provide COVID death rates but will no longer rely on aggregate case data reported by local jurisdictions and will instead use national death certificate data, Jackson said. COVID-19 surveillance will be folded into a wider integrated strategy for monitoring respiratory viruses, he said, adding that some data reporting including demographic case data, the CDC's work on long COVID, and wastewater surveillance for the virus will continue past May 11.

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