The FDA this week approved a video game as a prescribable therapeutic for kids with ADHD.
Why it matters: The move marks the first time a video game can be legally marketed as a therapy for a health condition, and it shows the gradual progress of the wider field of digital therapeutics.
The coronavirus outbreak has created a frightening, cash-strapped couple of months for pediatricians, as parents deferred vaccines and care for their kids.
Why it matters: Pediatric offices are still among the hardest hit physician specialties, and doctors are worried important care is falling by the wayside.
A decline in pediatric care during the pandemic has put a lot of children behind the curve on routine vaccinations.
The big picture: As states decide to reopen schools and day care centers, children behind on their shots could pose a threat to themselves and others — on top of the risk of spreading the coronavirus.
We still don’t know much about the role of children — and thus, schools and day care centers — in spreading the novel coronavirus, inserting a huge wildcard into America’s national return-to-work strategy.
Why it matters: Even as workplaces reopen with new social distancing measures in place, millions of parents will only be able to return if their children have somewhere to go. Alternatively, if schools end up being a breeding ground for new infections, the virus will easily then spread within households.
New and old machine-learning tools are helping scientists sift through the flood of research produced on COVID-19.
Why it matters: The coronavirus pandemic has led to an unprecedented wave of scientific publications on every aspect of the virus and potential treatments.
Mexican officials announced they will be hitting the "pause button" on plans to send as many as 5,000 migrant farmworkers to Canada after two Mexicans died from the coronavirus, The Washington Post reports.
Why it matters: The coronavirus is quickly spreading among migrant farmworkers in Canada, leaving at least 600 infected, per the Post. If other countries limit the migrant farmworkers they are willing to send to Canada, it could derail plans for harvesting both this year and next, per the Post.
Friday was not a good day for sports as teams report an increase in positive coronavirus tests among their players.
Why it matters: Considering the NBA shut down in March over one positive test, and leagues and schools are now starting up again with hundreds of cases, there’s reason to be concerned about the viability of sports this summer and into the fall.
The Treasury Department and Small Business Administration plan to release the names of businesses that received $150,000 or more in Paycheck Protection Program loans, the agencies announced Friday.
Why it matters: Taxpayers bailed out millions of small businesses seeking relief from the coronavirus pandemic with hundreds of billions of dollars in PPP loans. Any lack of transparency around where the money went could have made it more difficult to know how well the program worked, Axios' Dan Primack reported last week.
Navy Capt. Brett Crozier and his boss, Rear Adm. Stuart Baker, face punitive action over their handling of a coronavirus outbreak onboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt, Navy Adm. Michael Gilday said at a Pentagon press briefing on Friday.
Catch up quick: Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly relieved Crozier after the captain made a rare plea for help over growing coronavirus spread on the ship in late March, by asking that the crew be quarantined due to lack of space.
Major trade group Cruise Lines International Association announced on Friday its members are voluntarily suspending trips out of U.S. ports until Sept. 15.
Why it matters: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's no sail order was due to expire July 24. Cruising giants like Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Line are members of the trade group.
AMC said Friday that the chain would require face masks for moviegoers when its theaters reopen — a quick reversal after its original policy of optional use garnered intense backlash.
Driving the news: Regal Cinemas announced on Friday that beginning July 10 it will require all patrons to don face coverings as it reopens its theaters.
Most people have been avoiding public transit if they can, but a new report in The Atlantic says there's no evidence subways and buses are to blame for coronavirus outbreaks.
Why it matters: Public transportation is essential to the resumption of normal economic activity in our cities, but surveys show people would prefer to drive their own car than risk being cooped up on a subway or bus with strangers who might infect them with the virus.
Apple announced Friday that 11 of its stores in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Arizona will temporarily close this weekend after a spike in coronavirus cases in those states.
The big picture: The states where Apple is closing the stores saw some of the highest coronavirus case growth in the country over the past week, per an Axios analysis.
The Philadelphia Phillies announced Friday that the team would indefinitely close its Clearwater, Florida, spring training facility after five players and three staff members tested positive for the coronavirus.
Why it matters: The news, first reported by NBC Sports Philadelphia, illustrates just how challenging it will be to bring sports leagues back as some states — including Florida, the planned home for the NBA, MLS and WNBA — have seen a surge in new cases.
The Gates Foundation is best known for its philanthropy, but it has also spawned a venture capital fund whose mission is to show that investing in global health care issues can also yield returns.
Driving the news: Adjuvant Capital, founded by veterans of the Gates Foundation-sponsored Global Health Investment Fund, is raising a fund that will be at least $200 million, according to SEC filings.
Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger tweeted Thursday that anyone who politicizes mask-wearing as protection from coronavirus "is an absolute moron who can't read."
The big picture: His statement came just after California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide order requiring people to wear face coverings in public.
Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL's chief medical officer, told Axios that he's "very optimistic" about the league's season moving forward this fall — but cautioned that it won't be "football as usual."
Why it matters: "There are going to be a lot of changes in the way that we do things, from how we practice, to how we lay out our facilities, to how we travel, to how we organize sidelines and the on-field experience," he said.
Between the lines: Those three organizations have received more than $1 billion combined from the coronavirus bailout fund so far, according to data analyzed by Axios, and they oppose proposed Medicare rules that would force them to disclose negotiated prices.
Some insurers' limits on coverage for coronavirus testing may push the bounds of federal law.
Why it matters: Testing people who aren't displaying symptoms is an essential part of the public health response to the coronavirus, but some insurers appear to be unwilling to pay the full cost of those tests.
