More Than Half of US States Reporting ‘Very High’ COVID Activity Levels: CDC 

More than half of U.S. states are reporting “very high” levels of COVID activity as the virus continues to spread and increase in many parts of the country, according to the latest wastewater data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At least 27 states are reporting “very high” levels, and 17 states are reporting “high” levels of wastewater viral activity. The western region continues to see the highest levels followed by the South, Midwest and Northeast, respectively. ABC.

Study Identifies Risk Groups for Severe COVID-19 By Patient Age

A new study in Open Forum Infectious Diseases analyzed the clinical features of and outcomes of pediatric and adult hospitalized COVID patients at five US sites, and found that teens were at greatest risk for severe disease among all children, and those 50 to 64 years old were at greatest risk among all adults. CIDRAP.

Hot Summer Threatens Efficacy of Mail-Order Medications

The temperatures inside delivery trucks can reach twice the recommended threshold, but federal rules on drug storage conditions do not apply to the booming world of mail-order delivery.

… Mail-order pharmacies say that their packaging is weather resistant and that they take special precautions when medication “requires specific temperature control.” But in a study published last year, independent pharmaceutical researchers who embedded data-logging thermometers inside simulated shipments found that the packages had spent more than two-thirds of their transit time outside the appropriate temperature range, “regardless of the shipping method, carrier, or season.” Extreme temperatures can alter the components in many medications, from pancreatic enzymes to the thyroid replacement drug levothyroxine to oral contraceptives, medical experts say. NYT.

Older Adults Do Not Benefit from Moderate Drinking, Large Study Finds

Virtually any amount increased the risk for cancer, and there were no heart benefits, the researchers reported.

… Even light drinking was associated with an increase in cancer deaths among older adults in Britain, researchers reported on Monday in a large study. But the risk was accentuated primarily in those who had existing health problems or who lived in low-income areas. NYT.

Lab Tests Can’t Help Diagnose Long COVID, Study Shows

More than two dozen commonly available lab tests couldn’t help diagnose long COVID in a study of more than 10,000 adults, leaving doctors still having to rule out other health conditions to confirm whether someone has the condition. Axios.

Abortion Access Will Officially Be On Arizona’s Ballot In November

An amendment that would create a right to an abortion in Arizona’s constitution will appear on the state’s ballot this November. Arizona for Abortion Access, a coalition supporting the amendment, announced on Monday night that the measure would appear on the state’s November ballot as Proposition 139, allowing voters in the swing state to decide on the issue this election cycle. … If passed in November, the measure would establish a fundamental right to an abortion in the state. It would protect access to abortion up until viability, which is generally around 24 weeks, with exceptions after that if a “healthcare provider determines an abortion is needed to protect the life or physical or mental health of the patient.” Arizona law currently bans abortions after 15 weeks and includes exceptions in cases of medical emergencies. AP.

Women claim Texas hospitals denied them abortions for ectopic pregnancies

Two women filed complaints against Texas hospitals they allege turned them away for emergency care, risking their lives and violating federal law.

… In a complaint to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Kyleigh Thurman said that in February 2023, Ascension Seton Williamson Hospital in Round Rock, Tex., discharged her without treating her ectopic pregnancy or transferring her to another hospital. It denied her treatment again when she returned days later with vaginal bleeding, she said. The delay caused her fallopian tube to rupture, she said. According to the complaint, the hospital treated her only after her OB/GYN “pleaded” with staff to provide the necessary care. WashPost.

Doctors accused of spreading misinformation lose certifications

Group metes out consequences for doctors who pushed covid treatment

… The American Board of Internal Medicine revoked the certifications of Pierre Kory and Paul Marik, two physicians known for continuing to promote ivermectin, an anti-parasitic medication, as a treatment for covid long after the medical community found it to be ineffective. WashPost.

Their IUDs have expired, but some women are scared to have them removed

Some patients are delaying care because of pain during an IUD procedure. Now federal health officials want providers to be more responsive to patient concerns.

While it has been well documented that many patients experience severe pain when getting an IUD, less is known about how those painful experiences affect reproductive health care. Some women say thattheir worries about pain have deterred them from getting IUDs removed or replaced when needed, and they have become reluctant to return to the gynecologist, even for different procedures. WashPost.