 Health Care |
Health Care |
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School mask mandates, closures at center of renewed debate
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As COVID-19 cases rise in much of the country, there is growing concern — and preemptive backlash — that schools could implement mask mandates or close down again. |
Very few schools have taken those steps so far, and superintendents say that without national guidance, it is highly unlikely we'll see a return of mass closures or mask mandates. Still, conservatives are eager to find new examples of schools taking such COVID precautions and have been attacking the White House and the leader of the American Federation of Teachers union (AFT) for previous school closures and mask mandates. Former White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci in a CNN interview said he hopes people would listen to advice from health officials, even if it means a recommendation to wear masks. "I am concerned that people will not abide by recommendations," he said. "I would hope that if we get to the point that the volume of cases is such and organizations like the CDC recommends — CDC does not mandate anything — recommends that people wear masks, I would hope that people abide by that recommendation and take into account the risks to themselves and their families." COVID guidance seems unlikely to come from government agencies, at least at the state and federal level, without the heft of public health emergencies to reinforce the need for such measures. The onus for carrying out and enforcing viral mitigation practices has fallen on the shoulders of school administrators and individual workplaces, all of which have their own distinct level of risk tolerance. Sterling Ransone, family physician and board chair of the American Academy of Family Physicians, cautioned that school administrators may find themselves in a "can't win" position this year balancing the health of their students and staff with politicized blowback. |
Welcome to The Hill's Health Care newsletter, we're Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. |
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How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: |
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Former White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci on Saturday defended masking amid a rise in COVID cases across the country, saying he hopes people would listen to advice from health officials. In an interview on CNN, Fauci said he is worried Americans won’t listen to recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — even if masking becomes necessary again. "I am concerned that people … |
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| The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning doctors to be on the lookout for deadly flesh-eating bacteria that may be in waters of the Gulf of Mexico and East Coast. The bacteria is known as Vibrio vulnificus or V. vulnificus. The CDC issued the health advisory last week to urge health care providers to consider it as the possible cause of infected wounds from people who have been in coastal waters. The … |
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| A federal appeals court ruled Friday that a lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over its campaign against the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 can continue, reversing a lower court decision. Three doctors sued the FDA last year claiming that the agency's anti-ivermectin campaign went too far, overstepping its authority and acting more as a medical body than a regulator. A district court ruled that the … |
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Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: |
- The Senate has returned from their August recess, with a dozen crucial appropriations bills awaiting them. Congress has until Sept. 30 to pass legislation and avert a government shutdown.
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Branch out with a different read from The Hill: |
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Georgia can resume enforcing ban on hormone replacement therapy for transgender youth, judge says |
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia can resume enforcing a ban on hormone replacement therapy for transgender people under 18, a judge ruled Tuesday, putting her previous order blocking the ban on hold after a federal appeals court allowed Alabama to enforce a similar restriction. Attorneys for the state had asked Judge Sarah Geraghty to vacate the … |
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Local and state headlines on health care: |
- Mississippi's cervical cancer deaths indicate broader health care problems (KFF Health News)
- L.A. County sues pharmacy benefit firms, alleging they helped fuel opioid crisis (LA Times)
- Death rates for people under 40 have skyrocketed. Blame fentanyl. (Stateline)
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Health news we've flagged from other outlets: |
- Republicans say they'll stop fentanyl at the border. But what are their plans for treatment? (Stat)
- Drugs up for Medicare price cuts fuel drugmakers' legal strategy (Bloomberg Law)
- ADHD drug shortage stresses families during back-to-school season (CNN)
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Most read stories on The Hill right now: |
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Enrique Tarrio, former national chairman of the Proud Boys right-wing group, was on Tuesday sentenced to 22 years in prison after being convicted … Read more |
| Former President Trump is vowing to end the "madness" of the Biden administration's push for electric vehicles — a likely appeal to voters in the swing … Read more |
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Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill: |
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You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! |
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