Iowa News
University of Iowa Health Care names CFO
Mark Henrichs was appointed associate vice president for finance and chief financial officer for University of Iowa Health Care effective immediately. Henrichs was interim chief financial officer since August. (Becker’s Hospital Review)
State-run Iowa Veterans Home hit by seventh COVID-19 outbreak
A new COVID-19 outbreak has cropped up at the Iowa Veterans Home, despite declining outbreaks in Iowa nursing homes. The Iowa Veterans Home is the site of six previous outbreaks, the most of any care facility in Iowa. The new outbreak at the home is the seventh and, so far, has five infections associated with it. (The Gazette)
Iowa hospitals feeling the strain of the latest coronavirus surge
Hospitals in Iowa remain strained because of COVID-19 hospitalizations. There are 788 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Iowa as of Monday according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. Several Iowa hospitals are encouraging people to think about health care workers and to get vaccinated. “The vaccines are proven to decrease the number of people hospitalized if they get COVID-19. You may still get COVID-19, but you won’t end up in a hospital, and that is what is important right now,” said Jennifer Nutt of the Iowa Hospital Association. (WHO-13)
National news
Biden announces free tests, defends White House response as COVID-19 cases surge
President Joe Biden told Americans he understands “how tired, worried and frustrated you are” about the latest COVID-19 surge in the U.S. He announced several new steps to deal with the highly contagious omicron variant. Most notably, the government plans to buy a half billion at-home COVID-19 test kits and mail them to people who want them. Deliveries will begin in January. (Iowa Public Radio)
FDA approves first HIV prevention injection
The Food and Drug Administration approved the first injectable treatment for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, providing another option to help people at risk avoid sexually transmitted HIV. The drug, called Apretude, will be available to at-risk adults and adolescents who weight at least 77 pounds and have tested negative for HIV immediately beforehand. (The Hill)
Omicron will cause more infections but lower hospital rates analysis shows
A new analysis by the University of Washington shows the omicron surge will peak in a massive wave of infections by the end of January but is likely to produce far fewer severe illnesses for most people. The analysis projects the omicron wave will infect more than 400,000 people a day in the U.S. when it crests in about six weeks. But researchers estimate that most of those who catch omicron won’t get sick or will get mildly ill. Other researchers question where there is enough evidence to reliably estimate about how sick omicron makes people. (National Public Radio)