There was no shortage of healthcare news this week. On the COVID-19 front, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that around 45% of the U.S. population are deemed either a “medium” or “high” COVID-19 community level based on new coronavirus cases, hospitalizations, and hospital capacity on Thursday. Based on these data, 22 Michigan counties are at a high COVID-19 level and many others at the medium level. In high-risk areas, the CDC recommends people to mask indoors in public and on public transportation. In medium risk communities, the CDC advises individuals to take precautions to protect themselves, such as testing if symptomatic, staying current on COVID-19 vaccinations and talking to their doctor about the need to wear a mask.
In other news, the Biden Administration took major steps to address the baby formula shortage including invoking the Defense Production Act as well as directing the use of Defense Department’s commercial planes to import formula from abroad. Health experts are continuing to search for the cause of unexplained pediatric hepatitis cases both in the U.S. and abroad. Six children in the US have died as a result of this mysterious severe hepatitis. Also making this week’s headlines is the outbreak of monkeypox — a rare but potentially severe viral illness with dozens of confirmed or suspected cases. The World Health Organization has confirmed about 80 cases of monkeypox with recent outbreaks reported in 11 countries – including Italy, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, the US, Canada and the UK – according to a statement Friday from the global health agency. The second confirmed case in the US was reported today.
This Weekend Reading Series begins with News Briefs, with stories that made the news, Next, check out Mind the Money, with articles on hospital costs, the financial impact of long COVID-19 and other pricey topics. Do not miss Baby, Baby looking at baby safety, the formula shortage, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Last, but not least, check out Looking Back and my personal favorite, The Colorful History of Haribo Goldbears, the World’s First Gummy Bears.
I hope you enjoy the following:
1. News Briefs
- STAT: A CDC expert answers questions on monkeypox
- Axios: FDA authorizes first non-prescription test for COVID-19, flu, RSV
- Pew Charitable Trusts: Pedestrian Fatalities Spike During Pandemic
- HealthDay: 1 in 3 Americans Now Live in Areas Where Indoor Masks Advised, CDC Says
2. Mind the Money
- JAMA Forum: The Costs of Long COVID
- Healthcare Dive: Hospitals charge employer health plans more than 2 times what they charge Medicare for same services
- RAND Corporation: Prices Paid to Hospitals by Private Health Plans
- MedicalXpress: Three-quarters of obesity costs to the US health care system accounted for by top 20%
- Kaiser Health News: As Red Cross Moves to Pricey Blood Treatment Method, Hospitals Call for More Choice
3. Baby, Baby
- FactCheck.org: Post Misleadingly Blames Shipments to Ukraine for Baby Formula Shortage in U.S.
- Associated Press: EXPLAINER: What we know about shuttered baby formula plant
- The Atlantic: What Parents Did Before Baby Formula. The shortage is a calamity—not a victory for breastfeeding.
- Slate: No, Researchers Have Not Pinpointed the Cause of SIDS Despite what the news write-up going viral may say.
- WebMD: New Law Bans Infant Sleep Products Linked to 200 Deaths
4. Looking Back
- JSTOR Daily: The Bug in the Computer Bug Story
- The Smithsonian Magazine: The Colorful History of Haribo Goldbears, the World’s First Gummy Bears
- Gear Patrol: Why Are Traditional Men’s and Women’s Bike Frames So Different?
- The Smithsonian Magazine: The Deadliest Disaster at Sea Killed Thousands, Yet Its Story Is Little- Known. Why?
Enjoy the weekend!
Best,
Suzanne
Suzanne Daniels, Ph.D.
AEPC President
P.O. Box 1416
Birmingham, MI 48012
Office: (248) 792-2187
Email: [email protected]