The Biden administration included paid sick leave provisions as part of its new COVID-19 preparedness plan, which calls for a raft of measures meant to manage the U.S. through its new "post-pandemic" era.
Why it matters: The emergency sick leave provisions passed in 2020 at the outset of the pandemic expired that year and weren't renewed— despite protests from worker advocates and at least one study that showed the policy reduced the spread of the virus.
The Biden Administration today rolled out a new national COVID-19 preparedness plan on Wednesday that calls for maintaining free access to vaccines, masks, tests and drugs, as well respond more quickly to potential future variants.
Why it matters: It's part of an effort by the White House to push America into a post-pandemic phase while continuing to live with the virus.
Millions of Americans suffering from fatigue, nervous system disorders and other long-term health effects of COVID aren't getting public assistance to offset rising medical costs and lost income, an NBC News investigation found.
Why it matters: Taxpayer-funded unemployment insurance and long-term disability insurance aren't options for most Americans with long COVID, who may be too sick to work but not ready to quit the workforce.
Kids too sick to leave Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital in Kyiv have been sheltering in beds and on mattresses in the hospital basement this week amid growing fears it could be hit by a Russian airstrike.
Why it matters: It's a stark reminder that many civilians in need of care can't comply with evacuation orders and leave amid the increasingly desperate situation.
President Biden said tonight that more COVID antiviral treatments will become available sooner than expected and that his administration is launching a program to immediately get those pills to people who test positive for the virus.
Why it matters: The pills dramatically reduce the chances that someone with COVID will become severely ill, making them a key tool for living with the virus. But that hinges on getting patients access to them in a timely manner after testing positive.
President Biden used the State of the Union not only to project optimism about the direction of the pandemic, but also to launch new efforts focused on mental health care and nursing home quality — two areas that have been shown to be deeply in need of reform over the last two years.
Why it matters: The pandemic exposed and exacerbated deep societal problems, including within the health care system, and the work of addressing them is likely just beginning.
President Joe Biden plans to use tonight's State of the Union address to try to rally Democrats and Republicans around efforts to "end cancer as we know it."
Why it matters: This unity agenda comes weeks after the announcement of a relaunch of Biden's cancer moonshot initiative, during which he called for a "whole of government approach" aimed at decreasing the death rate from cancer by at least 50% over the next 25 years.
Lawyers for two doctors convicted of illegal opioid prescribing will argue their cases today before the U.S. Supreme Court, with potentially big implications for the medical profession, the NYT reports.
Why it matters: The opioid crisis, which originated with prescription drug abuse, has led to a crackdown on excessive prescribing. But it's also made it harder for patients with chronic pain to get access to the medication they need, advocates say, in part because doctors are afraid of the legal risks.
Abbott Nutrition is expanding its recall of baby formulas to include one lot of Similac PM 60/40 powder, the company announced Tuesday.
Driving the news: The recall comes after the death of an infant who tested positive for Cronobacter sakazakii, a dangerous bacterial infection, after consuming Similac PM 60/40 produced at Abbott's Sturgis, Michigan, facility.
Getting care from higher-priced hospitals in an emergency doesn't necessarily result in better outcomes — at least in markets that have little competition, according to new findings from the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Why it matters: Hospital prices vary considerably across regions, and persistent mergers in recent decades have been blamed for driving up the cost of privately insured patients' care.
Two years into the pandemic, the idea of "following the science" has oversimplified what's actually a complex array of factors that policymakers must weigh in formulating a response.
Why it matters: Science has been weaponized time and again to justify or defend positions held by both policymakers and public health experts. Even when data is irrefutable, people can disagree on the application of that data and how much value to give other factors.
Americans are abandoning COVID-19 fears and precautions, a sea change in the past few weeks as severe illnesses fell, states dropped mandates and the CDC relaxed guidelines, according to the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.
Why it matters: As President Biden gives his State of the Union address tonight, more people feel the worst is behind them — but they aren't giving him credit. That's a devastating miss for a leader who won election on his promises to move the nation beyond the pandemic.
The White House will lift its mask mandate for fully vaccinated people starting Tuesday, press secretary Jen Psaki said at a briefing Monday.
Why it matters: The move comes ahead of President Biden's first State of the Union address, which is set for Tuesday at 9pm ET, and follows the Capitol physician's guidance that masks are no longer required in the Capitol complex.
