Deaths from drug overdoses in the U.S. soared by nearly 30% in 2020, reaching a record high of 93,331, according to provisional data released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Why it matters: The shocking figures — which represent the sharpest annual increase in at least three decades — reflect the proliferation of the synthetic opioid fentanyl in the illegal narcotic supply and the pandemic's toll on the opioid crisis.
Corporate America is expecting big jumps in profits in the second quarter. That's especially the case in health care, an industry that hasn't really lost a lot of financial momentum throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
The bottom line: Health care spending is basically back to pre-COVID levels. Expect big numbers across the board.
Health experts fear the Tokyo Olympics could become a COVID-19 superspreader event.
The big picture: Infectious disease experts say the Olympics don't have strong enough protocols for testing or ventilation, either in competition venues or in the Olympic village.
Tennessee's top vaccine official told CNN she had been fired after sharing a memo citing state law about whether adolescents can seek medical care without their parents' permission.
Why it matters: The news comes amid an alleged push by Republican lawmakers in the state to halt vaccine outreach for teens for all diseases, including COVID-19, the Tennessean reports.
Pop star Olivia Rodrigo will visit the White House on Wednesday to meet with President Biden and Anthony Fauci and to record videos to encourage young people to get vaccinated, the White House announced Tuesday.
Why it matters: Vaccination rates for young Americans are lagging behind those of older adults. Young people's reluctance to get inoculated "is impeding efforts to develop the communitywide immunity sought to move past the pandemic and fend off Delta and other variants," the Wall Street Journal writes.
Conflicting statements from Pfizer and the Biden administration were just the beginning of what will likely be a contentious debate over if and when vaccinated Americans need another shot to protect them against the coronavirus.
Why it matters: Making decisions based on emerging science is difficult on a good day. But until global supply outpaces global demand for the vaccine, how to allocate doses will remain a life-or-death decision.
Several hospitals have mounted a legal battle against the company that makes the da Vinci surgical robot, alleging its monopoly position forces hospitals to buy its maintenance services and replacement parts at inflated prices even though cheaper options exist.
Driving the news: In one allegation, a hospital says Intuitive Surgical remotely shut down a hospital's surgical robot "in the middle of a procedure" which forced the surgeon "to convert the procedure to open surgery with the patient on the operating table," after the hospital said it was considering a service contract with a third party.
Women who teach internal medicine specialties still get paid less and have less representation in leadership, according to a new study from JAMA Internal Medicine.
The big picture: In their analysis across 154 medical schools in the U.S. between 2018 and 2019, researchers found women were paid at least 90% of men's median annual salary in 10 of 13 internal medicine specialties.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday ordered all French health care workers to get fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by Sept.15, amid a rise of new infections, driven largely by the Delta variant, AP reports.
The big picture: Macron also mandated special COVID-19 passes for anyone wanting to go to restaurants, shopping malls or hospitals or intending to travel via trains or planes.
House Democrats on Monday advanced a spending bill for the Department of Health and Human Services excluding the Hyde Amendment, a provision that bans federal funding for most abortions.
Why it matters: The bill follows President Biden's proposed 2022 budget that would see the lifting of the ban. This is the first time since it became law in 1976 that the Hyde Amendment has been excluded from the spending bill.
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday added a warning to the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, saying the shot can lead to an increased risk of a rare neurological condition.
Driving the news: Although the chance of developing Guillain–Barré syndrome is "very low," the neurological disorder has occurred in some people who have received the J&J vaccine, the FDA said in its updated fact sheet for recipients of the shot.
Lawsuits filed Monday are seeking damages from Dow Chemical and its successor company over a bug killer that allegedly causes brain damage in children, AP reports.
Why it matters: Chlorpyrifos is approved for use on over 80 crops, per AP. But studies show the pesticide damages the brains of fetuses and children. It was banned for household use in 2001.
A Baptist church retreat in Ohio attended by 800 people from June 27 to July 3 has resulted in 30 COVID-19 cases so far, Dayton & Montgomery County public health officials said Monday.
Why it matters: This is the second COVID-19 outbreak triggered by a multi-day church event in the past week.
