U.S. COVID Death Toll Tops 900K; More Large Waves Ahead? Monkeys, Bats, Rats, Oh My!

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As of Monday at 8 a.m. ET, the unofficial U.S. COVID toll is 76,505,941 cases and 902,626 deaths, up 2,172,413 and 18,361 respectively, versus a week ago.

An NIH primate study appears to show that tailoring a COVID-19 booster to the Omicron variant may not be particularly beneficial. (STAT)

British epidemiologists involved in COVID-19 modeling warn that large waves of infection are a “realistic possibility” in the future. (Reuters)

Eric Lander, PhD, the top science adviser to President Biden, and who is leading the Cancer Moonshot initiative, bullied staff and created a toxic work environment, a White House investigation found. (Politico)

Two scientists, Maria Elena Bottazzi, PhD, and Peter Hotez MD, PhD, have been nominated for the Nobel Peace prize for their work in developing COVID-19 vaccines for worldwide distribution. (ABC 13)

Roughly 100 protesters converged on Brigham and Women’s hospital after a patient was dropped from a heart transplant waitlist for not being vaccinated against COVID-19. (The Boston Globe)

Meanwhile, an unvaccinated dad in Canada lost custody of his children after a judge ruled him a danger to his immunocompromised child. (CBC)

Monkeys and bats and rats, oh my! Stopping pathogens from jumping from animals to people is key to preventing the next pandemic, said a group of international researchers. (USA Today)

The American Medical Association and American College of Physicians spoke out against a neo-Nazi protest late last month targeting “anti-racist physicians,” which also happened to be at Brigham and Women’s.

Fentanyl poisoning deaths doubled in 30 states, according to an analysis from Families Against Fentanyl, an opioid awareness organization.

An activist with a disability is raising her voice about feeling “disposable” in the pandemic. (Kaiser Health News)

Some insurers are paying patients’ internet bills to sustain telehealth gains. (STAT)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is adopting FDA’s sodium reduction guidance for its transitional nutritional standards for school meals.

FDA approved sutimlimab-jome (Enjaymo) for adults with cold agglutinin disease, a rare form of anemia.

The agency also approved grape-flavored baclofen oral suspension (Fleqsuvy) for treating spasticity in multiple sclerosis and in patients with spinal cord diseases or injuries, Azurity Pharmaceuticals announced.

And Photocure said its new Blue Light system was okayed by the FDA for detecting non-muscle invasive bladder cancer during cystectomy.

Pope Francis spoke out against female genital mutilation, saying the practice frequently occurs in conditions that are “very dangerous” for a girl’s health. (AP via ABC News)

After congress let a COVID-related paid sick leave program expire last year, lawmakers in California and Illinois are taking up the torch. (Politico)