Health News:

• COVID is surging again, with wastewater data, positive test trends, hospitalization rates, and deaths all increasing in every area of the US. (CDC)
• The FL General Surgeon is once again citing debunked claims while calling for a halt to mRNA vaccines. (Washington Post)
• NY state health officials are warning of a whooping cough outbreak in schools in the region. (USA Today)
• Hydroxychloroquine could have caused 17,000 deaths during the pandemic. (Politico)
• Two thirds of California TB programs noted recent drug shortages. (CIDRAP)
• Paxlovid drastically reduces the risk of death from COVID, but those who need it aren’t taking it. (NY Times)
• The FDA approved Florida’s plan to import cheaper drugs from Canada. (NPR)
• Being hospitalized for COVID increased in cost by 26% as the pandemic went on. (CIDRAP)
• Treating hearing loss reduces the risk of early death and dementia by up to 24%. (CNN)
• California is poised to introduce worker protections from indoor heat. (Kaiser Health)
  

Mental Health & Substance Use News:

• Mental Health emergency responders in New York State may now use flashing green lights on their vehicles. (News 12)
• Galveston, TX continues to model police first response teams for mental health crises, but even with extensive training, significant challenges come up. (Texas Monthly)
• After decades of delays, the Golden Gate Bridge finally has suicide-preventing nets. (SF Chronicle)
• A new device detects when someone stops moving in a restroom - helping identify someone overdosing very quickly. (Stat Health News)

If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or need help, call 988 or message the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.

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Best Questions:

If the line on my at-home Covid test seems to be getting lighter, does that mean I’m getting better?  

If you see a second line on your at-home COVID test, you’re infectious and should consider yourself capable of spreading the virus. But it’s actually true that the darkness and speed at which the line shows up is generally an indicator of how much of an antigen response your body has to the virus. A dark line that shows up just a few minutes after you take the test means you’ve got a lot of antigens in there and therefore, probably a higher viral load. A very faint line means you’ve got fewer antigens and could mean your infection is just beginning or starting to wane. It’s certainly not an exact science, but if you see a heavy line for a few days and then it starts to get fainter on every subsequent test you take, you can assume that your body is doing its thing and you’re on the mend, though you’re still infectious until there’s no line at all.
Source: Scientific American

If I have cold symptoms should I still be COVID testing?

Yes, it’s still worth it to test for COVID if you’re feeling sick. While we know that isolating for 5 days is a nuisance for some and a financial hardship for others, the reality is that everyone will be in close contact with someone who has a newborn baby or an elderly person at home who needs to be protected. COVID is still much deadlier than the flu - one study found over one in four patients hospitalized with COVID died, compared to less than one in ten with the flu. If you test negative, you still might have COVID (or the flu or something else contagious), so it’s best to test a few days in a row if you have symptoms and to stay home if you’re sick even if you test negative. The virus is still here, and we do have some control of whether we spread it to our friends, coworkers, and families. Stay safe out there!
Source: CIDRAP

What can we do to better prepare for mosquito- and tick-borne viruses in the US?

Our best read below touches on just how unprepared the US is for the onslaught of mosquito and tick-borne diseases that are already spreading here and are bound to get worse with climate change. This year, we’ve seen locally acquired malaria cases for the first time in decades. Dengue already spreads here regularly, and Zika, chikungunya, and even tropical parasites are already problems. Employers should be practicing good mosquito control - everything from eliminating standing water to adding screens on windows and doors. They should also protect employees who work outdoors from insect bites, whether with physical barriers like screened-in booths, insect repellant, or with appropriate uniforms. Meanwhile, we hope the US will invest in tracking and alert systems, vaccines for insect-borne viruses, and infrastructure that’s more mosquito- and tick-proof.
Source: NPR

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Best Read:

The U.S. is unprepared for the growing threat of mosquito- and tick-borne viruses | NPR