Week in Review: February 25
The Week in Review provides an overview of the past week's top health care content, including industry news and trends, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic Laboratories news, and upcoming events.
Biden Officials Ask Congress for $5B in Global Covid Funds
The Biden administration told Congress Friday that they need at least $5 billion in additional funds for global pandemic efforts. The amount would include $2.55 billion for international vaccinations, $1.7 billion for therapeutics and supplies and $750 million for humanitarian aid. The amount is less than international agencies originally proposed. Via Politico
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Payers, medicaid officials ask Congress for 90-day glide path to end of COVID-19 emergency
Although the federal government has promised to give 60-days' notice before ending the COVID-10 public health emergency (PHE), several groups sent a letter to congressional leaders asking for additional time. These groups included America's Health Insurance Plans, the National Association of Community Health Centers, the National Association of Medicaid Directors and Medicaid Health Plans of America. Via Fierce Healthcare
How long Covid exhausts the body
Millions of people continue to suffer from exhaustion, cognitive problems and other long-lasting symptoms after a coronavirus infection. The exact causes of the illness, known as long Covid, are not known. But new research offers clues, describing the toll the illness takes on the body and why it can be so debilitating. Via New York Times
Mayo Clinic News
13 processed foods that are actually healthy
2. Dairy or soy milk: Yes, milk is processed (hello, Louis Pasteur!), but that's a good thing. "We don't want to drink milk straight out of the cow," says Katherine Zeratsky, a registered dietitian/nutritionist at the Mayo Clinic. Milk is high in calcium, protein, Vitamin D, potassium and phosphorous — all important as we age. For vegetarians or the lactose-intolerant, go with soy milk. "It is the only plant-based milk that has complete protein," Rosenbloom says. "It has 8 grams of protein per glass, all of the essential amino acids of cow's milk and is fortified with calcium and Vitamin D." Via AARP
Black history month: Health & Wellness
Dr. Folakemi Odedina, renowned cancer researcher at the Mayo Clinic's Center for Health Equity and Community Engagement Research, joins us to discuss challenges that have traditionally affected African-Americans, and how to improve representation in health care. Via News4Jax
Mayo experts encourage booster doses, caution against dropping masks
Dr. Gregory Poland, vaccinologist and infectious disease expert at Mayo Clinic, emphasizes the need for booster doses, as immunity from the initial series has been shown to wane over time. He sites a CDC study which shows booster doses at five months raised protection up to around 90% against hospitalization or need to seek outpatient care for COVID symptoms. At four months post booster, effectiveness dropped to around 66%. "So, 40% of people who got a booster after four months, if exposed, are still likely to get infected, granted mild or trivial, even asymptomatic infection, but still infected," Poland said in a Mayo Clinic podcast this week. "For hospitalization, two months after that booster it maintained efficacy very well, 90 plus percent. And by four months it was still at 80%." Via La Crosse Tribune