Today’s NewsStand

Today’s NewsStand

By Iowa Hospital Association|
|June 23, 2021

Iowa news

Popular Iowa eye clinic hit by cyberattack to notify 500,000 patients, employees of potential information leak

A popular Iowa eye clinic announced it will be notifying about 500,000 current and former patients that their personal information may have accessed as part of a cyberattack back in February. The Wolfe Eye Clinic said in a news release that the company was part of a targeted cyberattack earlier this year that resulted in the clinic losing access to some systems and information. (Des Moines Register)

44.5% of Iowa’s population is now vaccinated against COVID-19

Tuesday, the Iowa Department of Public Health reported 107 new positive COVID-19 tests and no additional deaths. IDPH reported 403,946 total positive tests, 365,290 total recoveries and 6,114 total deaths since the start of the pandemic. Twenty-four hours earlier, IDPH had reported 403,839 total positive tests and 6,114 total deaths. State data shows 44.5% of Iowa’s total population has been vaccinated against the virus, with 1,460,719 people completing a vaccine series in the state. There have been 2,913,508 doses administered in the state. Iowa’s 14-day test positivity rate is up slightly from 2% to 2.1%. The seven-day average dropped from 2% to 1.9%. (KCCI)

Rock Island County, Genesis Health System reports record lows with COVID cases

For the first time since March 13, 2020, Genesis Health System has zero COVID-19 positive patients hospitalized. The Rock Island County Health Department also announced they have no new COVID-19 cases to report and no one is hospitalized with COVID-19 in the county. Even with a record low, health care providers know the fight against COVID-19 isn’t over. As health care enters the second half of 2021, the focus turns to flu season and COVID-19. (KWQC)

National news

Medicaid enrollment surpassed a record 80 million during the pandemic

Medicaid enrollment rose sharply during the pandemic, with nearly 10 million Americans joining the public health program for the poor. Eighty million people were covered under Medicaid, a record. It reflected an increase of nearly 14% during the 12-month period ending Jan. 31. The figure also includes enrollment in the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which covers children whose parents earn too much for Medicaid, but too little to afford other coverage. (The New York Times)

Delta variant likely to become dominant in US within weeks; may see July COVID-19 surges among unvaccinated

The delta coronavirus variant likely will become predominant in the US within weeks, according to an analysis published by preprint server medRxiv. The variant, first identified in India, accounts for at least 14% of all new US infections, according to the analysis of more than 242,000 virus cases over the last six months. The study is not yet peer-reviewed. Genomics company Helix, which is contracted with the CDC to track variants, began the study after noting a drop in the prevalence of the alpha variant, first identified in the UK. The researchers discovered the decline of the alpha variant in the US was because of a rapid increase in two other variants: the gamma variant, first detected in Brazil, and the delta variant. (Becker’s Hospital Review)

Desperate for COVID-19 care, undocumented immigrants resort to unproven drugs

In the U.S., many immigrants are shut out from mainstream medicine, and some people are using unproven remedies to treat the coronavirus. These medicines are promoted by doctors and companies on social media, or they find their way to “wellness” clinics or the black market. At a flea market in California, vendors recently sold $25 injections of the steroid dexamethasone, several kinds of antibiotics and the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine — the malaria drugs pushed by Donald J. Trump last year — make regular appearances at the market as well, as do sham herbal supplements. (The New York Times)

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