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What We're Reading: 3 Million US COVID-19 Cases; US Withdraws From WHO; HIV Long-Acting Injectable
With more states reporting record numbers of new infections of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the United States has surpassed 3 million confirmed cases; the Trump administration has notified the United Nations that it will be withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO); a new injectable given to patients every 2 months can protect against HIV better than the commonly used daily pill.
COVID-19 Infections Top 3 Million in United States
With more states reporting record numbers of new infections of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the United States has surpassed 3 million confirmed cases, according to Reuters. California, Hawaii, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, and Texas all easily surpassed previous daily records for new cases, and Texas and California each had more than 10,000. The rise in cases has led to more Americans seeking COVID-19 screenings, and HHS has added short-term testing sites in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas.
Trump Administration Begins Withdrawal From WHO
The Trump administration has notified the United Nations that it will be withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO) over its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Associated Press reported that health officials and critics of the administration blasted the move, saying it would cost the United States influence globally. The withdrawal would not take effect until next year and if former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, wins in the November election, he could rescind the decision.
New HIV Injectable May Be More Effective Than Daily Pill
A new injectable given to patients every 2 months can protect against HIV better than the commonly used daily pill, according to researchers. The high price for daily HIV prevention pills like Truvada and Descovy has highlighted the need for other prevention options, The New York Times reported. The trial evaluating the long-acting injectable, cabotegravir, was stopped in May after an interim analysis showed it was highly effective. The shot taken every 2 months was 66% more effective than Truvada.
Urticaria Diagnosis Challenged by Overlapping Pruritic Skin Conditions
April 23rd 2025Urticaria is complicated to diagnose by its symptomatic overlap with other skin conditions and the frequent misclassification in literature of distinct pathologies like vasculitic urticaria and bullous pemphigus.
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New Research Challenges Assumptions About Hospital-Physician Integration, Medicare Patient Mix
April 22nd 2025On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Brady Post, PhD, lead author of a study published in the April 2025 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care®, challenges the claim that hospital-employed physicians serve a more complex patient mix.
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Personalized Care Key as Tirzepatide Use Expands Rapidly
April 15th 2025Using commercial insurance claims data and the US launch of tirzepatide as their dividing point, John Ostrominski, MD, Harvard Medical School, and his team studied trends in the use of both glucose-lowering and weight-lowering medications, comparing outcomes between adults with and without type 2 diabetes.
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ACOs’ Focus on Rooting Out Fraud Aligns With CMS Vision Under Oz
April 23rd 2025Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are increasingly playing the role of data sleuths as they identify and report trends of anomalous billing in hopes of salvaging their shared savings. This mission dovetails with that of CMS, which under the new administration plans to prioritize rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse.
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