Bubonic Plague Case; Woman Carries Dead Fetus for Weeks; COVID Racing Upward

Note that some links may require registration or subscription.

The Ningxia Hui region of China reported one human infection of bubonic plague. (Reuters)

A Texas woman said she was forced to carry a dead fetus for 2 weeks when doctors denied her a dilation and curettage procedure following passage of the state’s abortion ban. (Washington Post)

A San Francisco Bay area man has been infected with monkeypox and COVID-19 at the same time. (NBC Bay Area)

Australia reported one of its highest ever daily death tolls from COVID-19 Wednesday, while hospitalizations approached record levels. (Reuters)

And in Europe, COVID-19 cases have tripled in the past 6 weeks, while hospitalizations have doubled, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

WHO has also issued a report showing that millions of refugees and migrants in vulnerable situations, such as low-skilled migrant workers, face poorer health outcomes than their host communities, especially where living and working conditions are sub-standard.

As a deadly heat wave hits much of the globe, the Biden administration is warning that its Office of Climate Change and Health Equity, which is tasked with dealing with the health impact of climate change, remains unfunded. (NBC News)

Meanwhile, the administration has created a new division within the Department of Health and Human Services — the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response — to coordinate the nation’s response to pandemic threats and other health emergencies (New York Times)

More than two and one-half years after the pandemic began, Micronesia has become the final nation with a population over 100,000 to experience a COVID-19 outbreak. (Associated Press)

The antivirals remdesivir (Veklury), molnupiravir, and nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (Paxlovid) appear to retain efficacy against some of the latest Omicron strains. (New England Journal of Medicine)

As of Thursday at 8:00 a.m. EDT, the unofficial U.S. COVID-19 toll reached 90,046.,834 cases and 1,025.741 deaths, increases of 210,743 and 841, respectively, since this time Wednesday.

The U.S. Justice Department has announced criminal charges against 36 defendants across the U.S. for than $1.2 billion in alleged fraudulent telemedicine, cardiovascular and cancer genetic testing, and durable medical equipment schemes.

A North Carolina bill proposing that women who get abortions should face the death penalty is receiving renewed attention despite the fact it is highly unlikely to ever become law: the bill was filed more than a year ago and only attracted four sponsors. (Newsweek)

Lead piping continues to present a threat to water supplies – but where are the pipes? (NPR)

The FDA has recalled certain Medfusion syringe infusion pumps due to software issues that could affect infusion delivery to patients.

The agency is also warning against the use of ultraviolet wands that give off unsafe levels of radiation.