More Hospital Violence; Brain-Eating Amoeba Strikes Again; BA.5 Not ‘Apocalyptic’

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In another act of violence in a healthcare setting, a nurse and a paramedic were stabbed at a hospital in Bridgeton, Missouri. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

Five things you should know about Naegleria fowleri — commonly called the brain-eating amoeba — which infected a young swimmer in an Iowa lake, leading to primary amebic meningoencephalitis. (NPR)

Abortion-rights advocates secured a record-breaking number of Michigan residents’ signatures in a bid to get an abortion initiative on the state ballot in the fall. (AP)

In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade, ob/gyns are warning patients against “herbal abortion” techniques promoted on TikTok. (New York Times)

Abortion providers are turning to technology to manage an expected increased demand for services. (STAT)

Following President Biden’s executive order to protect access to reproductive services, HHS announced clarifying guidance for providers that emergency healthcare includes abortion services.

A plan in development by the Biden administration would allow a second COVID vaccine booster for all adults. (Washington Post)

As of Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. EDT, the unofficial U.S. COVID toll reached 88,599,860 infections and 1,021,623 deaths, increases of 139,252 and 252, respectively, since this time on Monday.

Moderna announced that its Omicron booster candidate vaccine showed greater activity against the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants in unvaccinated/boosted adults as compared with the currently authorized booster.

The rapidly spreading BA.5 variant is driving new infections and re-infection but is not an “apocalyptic menace.” (The Atlantic)

In a closely watched medical malpractice lawsuit, the AMA has joined Florida hospital and medical associations in supporting an effort by the University of Florida and its primary teaching hospital to get the Florida Supreme Court to dismiss the case because of an expert witness’s professional credentials and qualifications. (WUSF)

Lingering emotional effects on Uvalde school children who survived the mass shooting in May. (CNN)

New mental health hotline 988 is set for a quiet launch as state and local officials fret over sufficient staffing for the potential spike in calls. (Politico)

Pooled data from 16 U.S. studies showed an increased risk of preterm birth related to maternal exposure to pthalates, chemicals used in the production of personal care products, food processing, and packaging. (JAMA Pediatrics)

New York Attorney General Letitia James alleged that Teva Pharmaceuticals lied about its role in promoting opioid use that led to the state’s crisis of opioid abuse and overdose. (Reuters)

The Washington Post profiles Will Flanary, MD, better known as TikTok star Dr. Glaucomflecken.

A Michigan physician faces up to 20 years in prison after a conviction for operating a $35 million opioid pill mill. (Detroit Free Press)

Q’Orianka Kilcher, a member of the cast of the cable TV series “Yellowstone,” has been charged with filing fraudulent disability claims totaling $97,000. (AP)