Fear and loneliness replaced relationship and livelihood concerns during the pandemic, a team of scientists said after looking at millions of helpline calls in multiple countries before and after the COVID-19 pandemic started.
The big picture: Doctors and policymakers are trying to assess the impact of quarantines, school closures and other public health measures on our emotional and mental well-being. Using helpline data could become an important assessment tool, the researchers said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law Thursday four bills passed by Republicans that protect workers who refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Why it matters: With the bills signed, Florida becomes the first state with a law imposing possible fines on companies that require a COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of employment, CNN reports.
The American Medical Association (AMA) and more than 60 other health groups on Thursday urged companies with over 100 employees to voluntarily implement President Biden's vaccine-or-testing mandate, saying the requirements are "essential to protect workers."
Driving the news: The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued the rule earlier this month, prompting immediate legal challenges. OSHA has suspended its enforcement of the rule pending further legal developments.
Health care performance is significantly worse for U.S. Latinos when compared with non-Hispanic white people, while some Latin Americans are also concerned about equitable access to health care in their countries.
Why it matters: A report compiled by the Commonwealth Fund underlines profound racial and ethnic health care disparities across the United States.
CVS Health said Thursday it will close roughly 900 stores over the next three years to reduce store density in certain locations around the United States.
Why it matters: It's a major revision of the company's retail model that comes in response to changes in population and consumer buying patterns. CVS Health said it currently has more than 9,900 pharmacy locations around the U.S.
Pfizer said Thursday that the U.S. will buy 10 million courses of its COVID antiviral pill Paxlovid for $5.29 billion by 2022 if it gains an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration.
Why it matters: With the purchase, the Biden administration is now set to receive over 13 million courses of antiviral medications designed specifically to treat COVID-19 and reduce severe illness and deaths.
Mask-wearing is the single most effective public health measure against the coronavirus, cutting incidence by 53%, according to a new global study published in the British Medical Journal.
Why it matters: The findings come as parts of the world, including D.C., increasingly loosen masking requirements, citing vaccine efficacy. Experts have warned against lifting mask mandates too soon.
Disney Cruise Line announced Wednesday that it would require all guests over the age of 5 to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Why it matters: Disney is the first cruise line to institute a vaccine requirement for children. The mandate, set to take effect on Jan. 13, comes after federal regulators approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine for use in children this month.
Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) told Axios during an event Wednesday she hopes the extended premium tax credits from President Biden's social spending bill will be key to detecting cancers earlier, if the legislation passes.
Why it matters: Sewellsaid some 300,000 people in her home state of Alabamafall into the "Medicaid gap" — meaning they make too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but too little to afford their own insurance.
An estimated 100,306 people in the United States died from a drug overdose in a 12-month period ending April 2021, according to new provisional data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wednesday.
Why it matters: It's the first time drug overdose fatalities reached six figures in a 12-month period and signals that the country is on track to set another tragic milestone after reporting a record 93,331 drug deaths in 2020.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said Wednesday that her first six-month post-cancer exam showed that "everything was clear."
The big picture: Klobuchar revealed in September that she had been diagnosed with stage 1A breast cancer in February. She completed radiation treatment in May and "it was determined in August that the treatment went well."
Axios has removed the article published here on Nov. 17, 2021, because it fell short of our editorial standards. Axios incorrectly stated that we contacted Global Plasma Solutions for comment before publication. We wrongly relied upon a source who is a former employee of a competitor of GPS and is now an adviser to that same competitor. We apologize to GPS and to our readers.
Drug company Viatris has priced its new generic insulin, called Semglee, at almost $270 per vial, a mere $20 cheaper than the longstanding competitor that has existed for years.
The big picture: The rollout of Semglee highlights the specific warped incentives within the insulin market, where diabetes patients have struggled to afford their insulin for years.
NIAID director Anthony Fauci believes the COVID-19 pandemic could become endemic in the U.S. next year, but increased vaccination rates and booster shots would be key to achieving this.
The big picture: The nation's top infectious disease expert made the comments in an interview with Reuters on Tuesday on the sidelines of the STAT Summit. But he noted to CNBC that coronavirus cases need to fall "well below 10,000" a day for the U.S. "to get back to a degree of normality."
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced pandemic travel restrictions on the Auckland region imposed in August will lift next month, but travelers must provide proof of vaccination or a negative test within 72 hours of departure.
Why it matters: Those who fail to comply with the requirement face an NZ $1,000 fine (U.S. $700) and police will be responsible for enforcement when it takes effect on Dec. 15, Ardern said at a briefing Wednesday afternoon New Zealand time.
