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News for November 23 — China Provides Respiratory Illness Data

China provides respiratory illness data to WHO: WSJ: https://www.wsj.com/world/china/who-presses-china-for-data-on-wave-of-undiagnosed-pneumonia-cases-68ee349b . As readers will quickly recognize, the WHO is now confronting China over data discrepancies. Its reporting of COVID deaths is absurdly low. As a wave of respiratory illnesses affecting children has erupted in China, WHO has made its request public to show other member countries …

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News for November 22 — Respiratory Diseases Increase in China

Respiratory diseases increase in China: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-11-22/who-asks-china-for-details-on-respiratory-illness-outbreaks . WSJ: Health insurers’ PBMs drug overcharges: https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/senators-call-for-investigation-of-health-insurers-role-in-driving-up-drug-costs-6f038a58 . Sigh. When a company owns all the steps in delivering a product or service, this is known as vertical integration. The largest insurers represent an oligopoly controlling health care delivery. Obviously, insurers can use their PBMs to overcharge for drugs …

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News for November 21 — Just Let People Die from COVID

Just let people die from COVID: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-11-20/uk-pm-sunak-reportedly-said-just-let-people-die-covid-inquiry-hears . Sunak sounds very much like Orange Julius here. This is what now passes for a conservative globally … Drinking coffee to prevent COVID: https://www.foxnews.com/health/coffee-covid-could-drinking-cups-day-reduce-severity-viral-illness . Uh-huh. Science news from Fox would not rank in my top 10,000 sources for news. The newly updated vaccines seem like a …

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News for November 20 — More Free COVID Tests Available

More free COVID tests available: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2023-11-20/us-to-offer-more-free-covid-tests-nationwide . Just in time for the holidays … COVID is the “gift” that keeps on giving … Bayer loses more Round-Up cases: https://www.reuters.com/legal/bayer-ordered-pay-156-billion-latest-us-trial-loss-over-roundup-weedkiller-2023-11-19/ . While I agree that the $500 million punitive damage awards may face reduction, let’s suppose they are cut to $100 million. This means the 3 …

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News for November 16 — Measles Deaths Up 40% Globally

Measles deaths up 40% globally: https://apnews.com/article/measles-epidemic-children-who-cdc-bb62da765a90bfb7c5c814ef0c2798e6 . The pandemic caused these deaths, as vaccination levels dropped. Use of excess deaths data adjusts for this issue. Under-20 US cancer deaths drop: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/child-teen-cancer-deaths-fell-24-last-2-decades-cdc-says-rcna125435 . WSJ: Rural ambulance waiting time: https://www.wsj.com/us-news/your-ambulance-is-on-the-way-eta-65-minutes-0431facd . We have this problem right here in Portland. The county’s contract requires an ambulance to appear …

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News for November 14 — Ozempic Weight Loss Use Limited

Ozempic weight loss use limited: https://www.aol.com/news/belgium-bans-ozempic-weight-loss-144959697.html . Belgium took this action due to shortage of the drug. Low US inflation data lifts stocks: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/stock-market-news-today-stocks-soar-yields-tumble-as-inflation-pressures-ease-in-october-210148068.html . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/finance/stocks/global-stocks-markets-dow-news-11-14-2023-e3ba8626 . Still more: https://www.wsj.com/economy/central-banking/what-to-watch-in-the-cpi-report-did-inflation-heat-up-or-cool-down-last-month-5c22f833 . WSJ: UAW deal vote close at GM: https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/several-gm-factories-reject-uaw-deal-putting-pact-on-shaky-ground-9284adc9 . Property sector problems weaken China’s economy: https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2023-11-14/china-factory-output-retail-sales-beat-expectations-in-boost-to-economic-recovery . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/economy/why-xi-can-no-longer-brag-about-the-chinese-economy-3397e6f4 . House …

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News for November 13 — Weight Loss Drugs Benefit Heart

Weight loss drugs benefit heart: https://www.wsj.com/health/pharma/novo-nordisks-wegovy-shows-heart-benefits-beyond-weight-loss-new-data-suggests-8171a32a . Wegovy and Ozempic are the same drug, semaglutide. WSJ: Bayer yanks lymphoma drug Aliqopa: https://www.wsj.com/health/pharma/bayer-pulling-lymphoma-drug-aliqopa-from-u-s-9f49dcdf . Leading contenders for next pandemic: https://fortune.com/well/2023/11/10/viruses-future-pandemic-filoviruses-ebola-marburg-sars-nipah-machupo/ . WSJ: Lessons from crypto bankruptcies: https://www.wsj.com/articles/ftx-marks-a-year-in-bankruptcy-what-weve-learned-from-crypto-restructurings-f2e19753 . WSJ: Commercial real estate foreclosures rise: https://www.wsj.com/real-estate/the-clearest-sign-yet-that-commercial-real-estate-is-in-trouble-cb8dfafa . The US real estate market faces similar problems to those …

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News for November 9 — New HV.1 COVID Variant Dominates

New HV.1 COVID variant dominates: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2023-11-09/what-to-know-about-the-latest-covid-19-variant-hv-1 . COVID lockdowns increased ADHD risk among 10-year-olds: https://www.foxnews.com/health/covid-lockdowns-increased-adhd-risk-10-year-old-children-study-finds . Ah, these are very interesting findings reported by Fox News. Gee, could there be a problem? More than 2/3’s of the way through the article, we learn the study “did have some limitations.” “The children examined before and after …

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News for November 8 — New Weight Loss Drug Zepbound

New weight loss drug Zepbound: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/eli-lilly-weight-loss-drug-zepbound-fda-approval-ozempic-rcna123169 . The FDA has approved Lilly’s Zepbound, which trials indicate is more effective at weight loss than Ozempic and its cousins. Hope for Parkinson’s patients: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/parkinsons-disease-implant-new-study-ability-to-walk-nature-medicine/ . One has to think that regaining the ability to walk has overall positive effects on health, but we don’t know what this …

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News for November 7 — US Newborn Syphilis Cases Explode

Newborn syphilis cases explode to highest level in 30 years: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/newborn-syphilis-cases-reached-dire-levels-cdc-says-rcna123856 . And 90% of these cases could be prevented by basic testing and treatment during pregnancy. Even if we can’t fix health care delivery in this country, I believe providing access to free testing during pregnancy would save money … and a ton of …

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