The Justice Department said Tuesday it will appeal a court ruling from Monday which struck down the federal mask mandate for travelers if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concludes the order is still necessary.
Why it matters: The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), as well as a number of airlines and travel companies, have lifted mask requirements since the federal judge's ruling. Some public health experts worry it's too soon, especially as Omicron subvariants continue to spread across the U.S.
Driving the news: Many joyfully embraced Tuesday as the first full day of new mask freedom. But plenty are sticking with a practice that's now 2+ years old.
Driving the news: The subvariant, BA.2.12.1, accounts for about 20% of new cases across the U.S. and is an offshoot of the BA.2 version of Omicron, which has been the dominant variant since late March, NBC News reports.
Universities nationwide are reinstating mask mandates amid an uptick in COVID-19 cases.
Driving the news: The University of Connecticut announced on April 15 that it was reinstating its masking requirements for "all indoor instructional settings, workspaces, and indoor events exceeding 100 individuals" amid a rise in cases. The new rules went into effect on Monday, April 18.
The COVID-19 pandemic "shined a light" on health care disparities that have persisted through centuries despite landmark policies aimed at addressing them, Morehouse School of Medicine President and CEO Valerie Montgomery Rice told Axios at an event Tuesday.
Why it matters: Black and Hispanic Americans have consistently seen higher coronavirus case rates than their white counterparts during the pandemic. Other metrics like vaccination rates have also shown a lag.
Researchers developed a genetic-risk "score" for six common diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and breast cancer which they say could help doctors and their patients make better health decisions, according to a study published in Nature Medicine.
Why it matters: In the effort to deliver precision medicine, studies have identified thousands of genomic variants linked with a range of common complex human diseases. But individual genetic changes, on their own, don't always provide much information.
Monday's court ruling striking down the federal traveler mask mandate was met with mixed reactions as companies scrambled to respond.
Driving the news: Several airlines — including the four largest in the U.S. — Uber, Lyft and Amtrak dropped their masking requirements following the Transportation Security Administration's announcement that it will no longer enforce a mandate.
Moderna announced Tuesday that preliminary study results show an updated COVID booster shot designed to target the Beta variant also offers better protection against newer variants.
Driving the news: The company said it hopes to offer the updated "bivalent booster," which combines the original vaccine with an updated version, in the fall.
The prices that private insurers agree to pay hospitals for cancer drugs are often at least double what the hospital paid to acquire the drugs, according to a new study in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Why it matters: The blame for high drug prices goes well beyond drug manufacturers, and is ultimately borne by patients through higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs.
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that the Pentagon can take disciplinary action against a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve who refused to follow the Pentagon's COVID-19 vaccine mandate due to religious objections.
The big picture: Jonathan Dunn had said he sought emergency relief to protect himself from "further punishment, including a discharge." He was removed from his command after he refused the vaccine, believing it violates his faith.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating Lucky Charms cereal after receiving over 100 reports of illness, the FDA confirmed to Axios on Monday.
Driving the news: The reports came from people who claim to have experienced nausea, vomiting and diarrhea as a result of eating Lucky Charms, according to the Washington Post.
More than 60% of all doctors incorrectly believed all tobacco products are equally harmful, making them less likely to recommend e-cigarettes for people trying to quit smoking, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.
Why it matters: While the FDA has not approved e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation device, there is growing evidence they may help lure smokers to a less harmful option, the study authors note.
Shanghai officials on Monday issued the first report on COVID-19 deaths since the start of its most recent lockdown, announcing that three people have died of the virus, AP reported.
Why it matters: In late March, Shanghai instituted its most extensive lockdown in two years on its 26 million residents in an effort to tamp down on a surge in cases.
The formal end of the pandemic could swell the ranks of uninsured children by 6 million or more as temporary reforms to Medicaid are lifted.
Why it matters: Gaps in coverage could limit access to needed care and widen health disparities, by hitting lower-income families and children of color the hardest, experts say.
