In a blog posted here on May 16, 2023 I discussed the phasing out of the January 2020 Federal Government COVID-19 public health emergency. At that time The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continued to authorize the COVID-19 antiviral drug nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) for emergency use. It has since been fully approved for adults with Covid at high risk of hospitalization or death, such as older adults and those with medical conditions like diabetes, asthma, and obesity. The government continued to provide Paxlovid at no cost to patients until November 1, 2023. Insurance companies will now be able to charge for […]
Category: COVID-19
The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Has Ended
The Federal Government declared a COVID-19 public health emergency in January of 2020 and decreed many changes in healthcare and healthcare insurance to help people better cope with the pandemic. The Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2020 provided $6.7 billion for the federal and state governments to respond to the COVID epidemic in the United States. An additional $1.6 billion was included to contribute to the international response. The majority of the funds were used to control the virus in the form of research into treatment and prevention measures; keeping track of all aspects of the […]
Cold/flu Season During Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic
The change of the seasons is in full swing throughout the country, and the United States is heading towards another cold and flu season in the midst of an ongoing pandemic. Children returning to school (which are significant sites of COVID transmission) amid the dangerous politicization of public health attempts to increase vaccination rates and promote mitigation measures such as masks and social distancing has created a risk-filled environment for many across the country. It is vital to know the difference between symptoms for viral conditions such as a cold, the flu, and COVID-19. All three are spread in […]
The Hidden Health Consequences of COVID
This article originally appeared on BeMedWise. An up-to-date version can be found here. COVID-19 has left its mark in more ways than the number of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, deaths, and long-term consequences indicate. While the COVID-19 pandemic is having a direct detrimental effect on public health, the economy, and our social lives, there are many indirect medical consequences as well. In 2021, the death rate in the United States was the highest it has ever been — especially in the 15-44 age range. While the death rates for cancer, diabetes, chronic liver disease, and stroke rose slightly, deaths […]
Increasing COVID Costs for Uninsured Could Fuel Next Surge
We have been discussing the costs associated with COVID-19 for nearly two years. Earlier this year, we covered how the ongoing pandemic has affected employment and insurance status of millions of Americans. Now federal funds for vaccines, testing, and treatment of the novel coronavirus have run out and additional funding has failed to pass through Congress, leaving the 28 million uninsured Americans responsible for paying the costs themselves. For most of the public health crisis even uninsured patients could receive free preventative vaccines, tests to detect the coronavirus, and treatment if infected. Unfortunately, this information hadn’t been widely circulated […]