Payment startup Nomi Health has acquired Artemis Health, which uses data to help U.S. employers fine-tune health offerings, in a $200 million deal.
Why it matters: The pairing of the two payment-minded startups is part of an ongoing consolidation wave in digital health where small, like-minded upstarts combine their assets to round out their offering.
The NFL and Cowboys are reportedly in talks to make AT&T Stadium an emergency backup venue for Super Bowl LVI, which is set to be held at Los Angeles' Sofi Stadium on Feb. 13.
Why it matters: This is standard operating procedure for the league, but it has become more noteworthy amid L.A.'s COVID surge, which has led to increased restrictions and major events being postponed.
Japan's foreign minister asked Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a call Thursday for American soldiers to remain inside their bases in response to a recent increase in COVID-19 infections around U.S. military facilities, according to AP.
Why it matters: Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday he asked Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi to make the request for stronger restrictions on the bases because he was dissatisfied with the U.S. military's response to the spread of the virus, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Nearly nine in 10 people living in cities around the world — or about 2.5 billion people — are exposed to unsafe levels of air pollution annually, according to a new study published in The Lancet Planetary Health.
Why it matters: The study, led by George Washington University researchers, shows the tangible health impacts of a high concentration of air pollution.
There appears to be yet another layer to America's coronavirus testing chaos: People may not test positive on rapid nasal tests until after they're infectious, which would make the tests an unreliable measure of whether it's safe to gather.
The big picture: Rapid tests have been hailed as a way to weather the Omicron surge without mass disruption to everyday life. But they've been in short supply for weeks, and now new research — along with loads of anecdotal evidence — suggests there may be significant limitations to their usefulness with this variant.
NorthShore University HealthSystem and Edward-Elmhurst Health have merged into a nine-hospital system that will have roughly $5 billion in annual revenue and a dominant presence in Chicago's affluent north and west suburbs.
The big picture: The pandemic has slowed down hospital merger activity, according to health care financial advisory firm Ponder & Co., but it didn't completely stop all deals — especially large mega-mergers like this NorthShore-Edward deal that pursue regional consolidation.
The number of new COVID cases more than tripled over the past two weeks, shattering records all across the U.S.
Why it matters: The Omicron variant appears to be significantly milder than its predecessors, and it's not leading to as much serious illness. But sky-high case counts are still a warning sign, especially in areas whose health care systems are already stretched thin.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Rochelle Walensky on Wednesday approved a CDC advisory committee's vote to recommend booster doses of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for 12- to 17-year-olds.
Driving the news: The vote passed 13-1 earlier on Wednesday and will expand the number of children eligible for boosters as a surge of COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant spreads nationwide.
IBM has resurrected its sale process for IBM Watson Health, with hopes of fetching more than $1 billion, people familiar with the situation tell Axios.
Why it matters: Big Blue wants out of health care, after spending billions to stake its claim, just as rival Oracle is moving big into the sector via its $28 billion bet for Cerner.
Hong Kong on Wednesday banned all incoming passenger flights from eight countries, including the United States, to prevent the spread of Omicron, the Washington Post reports.
Why it matters: The new restrictions mark the city's strictest COVID-19 restrictions since the pandemic began two years ago as officials seek to maintain a "zero-covid" policy amid the spread of Omicron, per the Post.
Driving the news: Before Tuesday — when Joe Ingles entered COVID protocols — the Jazz were the only NBA team that hadn't added a player to that list this season.
As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sought to clarify its COVID isolation guidance Tuesday, it managed to further muddy the waters.
The big picture: The CDC's guidance says people who have tested positive, or those who suspect they have COVID due to symptoms, should isolate for at least five days.
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