Latinos in the U.S.experienced a 40% spike in drug overdose death rates in 2020, according to a new study.
Why it matters: The large percentage increase for Latinos shows how the pandemic and isolation may have affected Hispanics, who experienced higher rates of COVID-19 deaths.
NIAID director Anthony Fauci said that the U.S. will likely experience an increase in COVID-19 cases from the BA.2 variant, but it may not result in a significant uptick in hospitalizations or deaths.
Driving the news: "I would not be surprised if in the next few weeks we see somewhat of either a flattening of our diminution or maybe even an increase," Fauci told ABC News' Brad Mielke on the podcast "Start Here."
Forces in New York City, California and elsewhere are leading a new push to rein in hospital prices, reviving a health cost fight that’s been on hold for most of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Why it matters: Hospital prices vary considerably even in the same market, and rising prices for care are reflected in higher insurance premiums and lost wages.
Moderna has asked the FDA for an emergency authorization that would allow all adults to receive a second COVID-19 booster, the company announced on Thursday.
Why it matters: The request is likely to intensify an ongoing scientific debate over how long protection from the two most-used vaccines in the U.S. lasts in the face of new variants.
