A new internal government document claims the Delta variant appears to cause more severe illness than earlier coronavirus variants and spreads as easily as chickenpox. In laying out the evidence that this variant looks like the most dangerous one yet, the document urges health officials to “acknowledge the war has changed,” the Washington Post reported.… read on > read on >
Aides in long-term care facilities are less likely than other staff to be vaccinated, even though they have the most contact with vulnerable patients and could infect them with COVID-19, a new federal study shows. Researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed data from 300 long-term care facilities nationwide. The research… read on > read on >
The Biden administration has reversed a Trump policy that limited the size of fines that U.S. nursing homes could be slapped with for violating safety standards. The Trump policy was adopted in 2017 and prevented the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) from hitting a nursing home with a fine for each day… read on > read on >
As many Americans know, today’s health insurance plans often come with high deductibles. Those out-of-pocket costs could cause harm: New research shows that 20% of people who have diabetes and high-deductible health plans regularly skip their medications. Not keeping up with your diabetes medications comes with the potential risk of an emergency room visit or… read on > read on >
Opioid overdose-related visits to U.S. emergency departments rose by nearly one-third during the COVID-19 pandemic last year. That’s the key finding in a new analysis of data from 25 emergency departments in Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, North Carolina, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. “COVID-19, and the disruptions in every part of our social and work lives, made… read on > read on >
Plenty of seniors may struggle with problem drinking, but a new study shows that less than half of them discuss their alcohol use with their health care providers. “Older adults are at high risk for the harms of alcohol use, especially for those with existing chronic disease and who take prescribed medications,” said lead study… read on > read on >
People fully vaccinated against COVID-19 should be tested for the virus if they come into contact with infected people, whether or not they have symptoms, say updated testing guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency previously said that fully vaccinated people did not need to be tested after exposure to… read on > read on >
An “astounding” rise in COVID-19 cases in Mississippi is putting intense strain on the state’s health care system. Compared to the first half of July, the number of infections more than doubled in the past two weeks and deaths rose by 51%. In Mississippi, deaths lost to COVID-19 now average between three and four a… read on > read on >
President Joe Biden plans to announce on Thursday that all civilian federal employees will have to be vaccinated or submit to regular testing, masking and travel restrictions. White House officials said the administration is still finalizing the details of the new policy, which Biden will outline in a speech from the White House. In a… read on > read on >
U.S. pharmacists will now be able to automatically substitute a cheaper biosimilar for a more expensive brand-name insulin, the U.S Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday. The agency’s approval of an “interchangeable” biosimilar could save diabetics and health plans millions each year, the Associated Press reported. Until now, doctors have had to specifically prescribe a… read on > read on >
