New Omicron Symptom? VP’s Goof on FDA; ‘Pharma Bro’ Debuts Medical Chatbot

Note that some links may require subscriptions.

Anecdotal reports suggest a potential new symptom with the Omicron XBB.1.16 subvariant: conjunctivitis. (Washington Post)

Clinicians providing abortions report relief but remain vigilant after a Supreme Court decision maintained access to the abortion pill mifepristone (Mifeprex) while a legal battle plays out. (Reuters)

During an interview about abortion rights, Vice President Kamala Harris referred to the FDA as the “Federal Drug Administration.” (New York Post)

Danish researchers discovered thousands of unknown viruses in the diapers of babies. (Washington Post)

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which helps shape government policy on opioids, accepted millions in donations from members of the Sackler family, some of whom were involved with Purdue Pharma. (New York Times)

Studies retracted, data deleted, and scientists gagged — how Chinese censorship is rewriting the nation’s COVID-19 story. (New York Times)

COVID deaths in the U.S. fell to a record low last week — figures not seen since March 2020. (ABC News)

Still, one San Francisco hospital has reintroduced mask requirements spurred on by a recent outbreak. (ABC7)

Pfizer and Moderna have promised free COVID vaccines even for the uninsured, but how that will happen is still unclear. (The Hill)

Strep throat infections have shot up, outpacing pre-COVID highs. (Fox News)

During the pandemic, kids ingested higher amounts of illicit substances, including cannabis, opioids, and ethanol. (JAMA Network Open)

Gun violence is higher in red states, according to an analysis by Politico.

Missouri is set this week to become the first state to ban gender-affirming care in adults. (NPR)

Meanwhile, activists brought down a transgender care “snitch form” in the state by swamping a government site with fan fiction and movies scripts. (TechCrunch)

“My body’s basically this ticking time bomb,” said one teen, rushing to access puberty blockers before access is closed off in South Dakota. (AP)

Even in Democratic-led states, access to gender-affirming care is deteriorating. (Politico)

Herpes patients are banding together to demand the government take the lifelong infection more seriously. (STAT)

Sherri Tenpenny, DO, the Ohio doctor who infamously said COVID vaccines make people magnetic, could soon be suspended for not complying with a state investigation. (Raw Story)

Expensive and intense leg-lengthening surgeries are increasing among men looking to become taller. (NBC News)

The forever question: Are there health benefits to moderate drinking? (The Hill)

Pharma bro Martin Shkreli has developed a new medical chatbot named “Dr. Gupta” that experts say raises serious ethical and privacy concerns. (Gizmodo)

More people are getting genetically tested to assess their risk of Alzheimer’s, but support services are few when bad news arrives. (Reuters)

California’s governor has called in the National Guard and California Highway Patrol to help curb San Francisco’s fentanyl crisis. (NPR)

A handful of hospital executives at Duke Regional Hospital have been asked to leave over performance issues. (WRAL News)