ROUTINE CHECKUP: Say Goodbye to $15 Billion in COVID Funding ๐
This week's health news is shitty.
The White House says it's running out of money to cover COVID tests and vaccines: This is horrible news. $15 billion in coronavirus funding was cut from a $1.5 trillion spending bill, which means a few things.
The government will need to scale back on purchasing monoclonal antibody treatments, and it wonโt be able to buy more COVID antiviral pills.
Providers who test and vaccinate millions of uninsured Americans will not receive reimbursements.
If a fourth booster is needed for the general population, it may not be made available. (Another dose is currently being offered to people who are immunocompromised.)
By summer, the U.S. wonโt have enough money to support domestic COVID test makers, which will probably result in a test shortage.
If a new vaccine-resistant strain of the coronavirus is detected, the U.S. will not be able to fund the creation of new vaccine formulations, nor will they be able to surveil for novel strains abroad.
This is really bad news! (Source: NPR)
Are we done with face masks?: The evidence shows that masking is a very effective way to prevent COVID-19 infections. But, in another blow to precautions, many jurisdictions are rolling back their mask mandates or dropping them altogether. (Source: Vox)ย
America Is Zooming Through the Pandemic Panic-Neglect Cycle: The disregard for coronavirus precautions is part of โa Sisyphean cycle of panic and neglectโ that surrounds pandemics. But that process is moving wayyyyyy too quickly, setting us up for more significant public health failures and loss of life. (Source: The Atlantic)
Why is it so hard to compensate people for serious vaccine side effects?: Itโs essential to say that adverse side effects from vaccines are incredibly rare. Most people who get vaccinated will do so safely and without any severe consequences. If you arenโt vaccinated, please consider doing so. But, as scientists and many vaccine advocates have acknowledged, adverse effects can happen. And if a vaccine injures someone, they deserve swift compensation. This article investigates the current compensation structures in the U.S. and how woefully inadequate they are. (Source: National Geographic)
The surprising link between Covid-19 deaths and ... internet access
โThis March, researchers at the University of Chicago published a study in the journal JAMA Network Open that showed one of the factors most consistently associated with a high risk of death due to Covid-19 in the US was the lack of internet access, whether broadband, dial-up, or cellular. This was regardless of other demographic risk factors like socioeconomic status, education, age, disability, rent burden, health insurance coverage, or immigration status.โ (Source: Vox)ย
Russiaโs strike on Ukraine maternity hospital is part of a terrible wartime tradition
โWhen a country attacks health-care facilities, they are sending the message that they donโt have any boundaries to what they can do. This is targeting people who cannot defend themselves and who cannot pose a threat because theyโre patients. It is a way to break peopleโs resilience. Going to the hospital becomes dangerous; going there to get help means risking your life.โ (Source: WAMU)ย
Can I Consume Cannabis Around My Kids?
โSpecific laws governing cannabis possession and use vary by state, but parents can be charged with child neglect or endangerment if substance use puts children at risk of harm. The problem with this, of course, is that harm is subjective โ what a parent might consider equivalent to consuming a glass of wine, or taking a medication for high blood pressure or chronic pain, might be seen as drug use through more conservative eyes. In New York State, parents and guardians cannot be accused of neglect or abuse simply for using cannabis. However, legal marijuana use, even medical use, has often been held against families involved in the child-welfare system, especially Black and brown parents, and families living in poverty seeking government assistance.โ (Source: The Cut)ย
This woman has been sober for 30+ days!ย
Drs. Oni and Uchรฉ Blackstock have been essential sources of information during the pandemic. This write-up of how they spend their Sundays in the NYT is so lovely!
My homegirl won a film award and met Lady Gaga!