What’s At Stake If Congress Doesn’t Issue More COVID Funding
Your ROUTINE CHECKUP for April 1, 2022.
Pfizer recalls some blood pressure drugs, citing cancer risk: An FYI for any readers who may have missed this!
President Joe Biden makes several important COVID announcements: On Wednesday, Biden announced the launch of COVID.gov, a launchpad for people looking for testing sites, vaccines, masks, and other treatments in their area. This is excellent news! Everything in one place? Awesome. But many of these services are in danger of being limited or axed completely if Congress doesn’t provide COVID funding ASAP. (Source: ABC)
What we know about second COVID booster shots: Though the story answers many great questions about boosters, I’m going to pull out the most pressing: Who should get a second booster? Anyone over the age of 50 who wants one as long as it's been at least four months since their first booster. Anyone who is immunocompromised is eligible, too. There’s limited research on how beneficial a second booster is. Since the vaccines are based on the original strain of the coronavirus, it’s unclear how well this version will hold as the virus mutates—another reason why Congress must get their shit together and provide more COVID funding. (Source: New York Mag)
“Endemic” COVID doesn’t mean mild: This one is self-explanatory. Endemic has become synonymous with “moderate illness that’s like a nasty cold, but you’ll be aight though!” when the science doesn’t suggest that. Many endemic diseases—like malaria—kill hundreds of thousands of people each year. Endemic status has become misconstrued by policymakers who are, as I’ve written before, looking for any way to sidestep their duty to pass or fund measures that protect their constituents. (Source: Mother Jones)
I Overstressed My Body Until It Shut Me Down: I’ll let Brianna Sacks speak for herself here: “I had put my body through so much stress, over and over, without giving it adequate rest, love, or nutrition, for a long time. I’ve viewed and treated my body like a machine, militant in the way I command it to grind and perform. In life, I subscribe to a “do at all costs'' mentality. I seem to have been born with one speed: go.” (Source: BuzzFeed)
The FDA made mail-order abortion pills legal. Access is still a nightmare: Oh wow, that byline looks familiar! But the gist of this one is: If the Supreme Court deals a blow to Roe v. Wade this summer, all obstacles to accessing abortion will get worse. Telehealth startups focused on reproductive health are hoping to play a role in expanding access, but state laws and societal structures—like poverty and lack of access to health care—prevent them from helping those most in need of their services. (Source: Vox.com)
Abortion restrictions limit training options for doctors during medical residency
“A barrage of abortion restrictions rippling across the country, from Florida to Texas to Idaho, is shrinking the already limited training options for U.S. medical students and residents who want to learn how to perform abortion procedures.” (Source: Kaiser Health News via CNN)
Google Search will soon let you book checkups and other medical appointments
“Users looking to book a check-up or a same-day visit can use Google Search to see the availability of select health care providers in their area. Google is partnering with MinuteClinic at CVS to start. So, for example, you might search for a MinuteClinic near where you live, and Google will return results showing the types of appointments you can schedule. In the screenshot above, Google shows you’ll be able to schedule a visit for a check-up, vaccination, skin condition, or an injury/illness. While you can search for availability using Google, you’ll book the appointment through a third-party site. It may be helpful for people who don’t have regular care providers or who aren’t able to visit their current doctor.” (Source: CNBC)
Megan Thee Stallion.
Jonathan Majors.