The Mercury News: COVID Deaths Nearing Record Lows In California And The U.S.
The number of COVID deaths continues to fall in California and the rest of the country, dropping 65% in the last three months in the Golden State, another sign that the virus is losing its grip on our lives. In March, California added just 540 names to its COVID death total, and numbers for April could be even lower. (Rowan, 4/28)

Los Angeles Times: Arcturus, A More Infectious COVID Subvariant, Grows In L.A. County, Seen In Sewage
Coronavirus levels in Los Angeles County wastewater have ticked up, potentially as a result of the arrival of a more infectious Omicron subvariant dubbed Arcturus. The latest strain, known officially as XBB.1.16, is probably responsible for a rise in coronavirus cases in India, where there have been a number of anecdotal reports of what had been a rare COVID-19 symptom, especially in children: pinkeye. (Lin II, 4/28)

inewsource: This COVID-19 Variant Could Cause Pink Eye. What You Need To Know
Pink eye may be a sign of COVID-19. San Diego County public health experts say XBB.1.16, an emerging offshoot of the Omicron variant which has reportedly been associated with itchy, watery eyes, has a chance to soon take up a larger share of local COVID-19 cases. (Kristoffersen, 5/1)

VC Star: COVID-19 Is Still Here But Lull Continues In Ventura County
Ventura County public health officials reported two deaths linked to the virus in a weekly update Thursday. They are the first fatalities reported in April. If the number doesn’t grow, it will be the lowest month for COVID deaths in the more than three years of the pandemic. (Kisken, 4/30)

NBC News: CDC To Stop Tracking Covid Levels In Communities
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is planning to stop tracking the spread of Covid in communities across the U.S., the agency said Friday. (Edwards, 4/28)

Reuters: Pfizer Pledge For More Equal Access To RSV Shot Faces Hurdles 
Pfizer Inc has pledged to deliver critical new medicines more quickly in low-income nations, but its first such vaccine effort faces hurdles likely to delay distribution in poorer countries by several years, global health officials told Reuters. Pfizer made a commitment on more equitable access last year, following criticism that it prioritized wealthy nations for doses of its COVID-19 shot early in the pandemic. (Rigby and Fick, 4/29)

CalMatters: Long COVID In California: ‘A Pandemic Of Loneliness And Social Isolation And Rejection’
As many resume their pre-pandemic lives, those with long COVID struggle with debilitating symptoms. In California, there are no legislative proposals to help despite long wait times for care and expensive treatments. (Hwang, 4/28)

Fierce Healthcare: Bright Health Seeking Buyer For California MA Business
Embattled insurtech Bright Health will fully ax its insurance business as a potential bankruptcy looms, the company announced Friday. The company secured an extension to its credit facility through June 30, giving it a few extra months to avoid going belly-up. To ensure it qualifies for the extension, the company must find a buyer for its California-based Medicare Advantage (MA) business by the end of May, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. (Minemyer, 4/28)

Axios: Hospitals Face Rough Waters From High Costs
The patients are back — but health systems are facing post-pandemic cost pressures driven by inflation and workforce shortages. Why it matters: These financial pressures are threatening the recovery of the industry, mainly the most vulnerable organizations, experts tell Axios. (Reed, 5/1)

Los Angeles Business Journal: Whack-A-Mole For Hospitals 
In nearly 17 years as a physician and executive at Providence Health and Services and another decade-plus before that at Kaiser Permanente, Bernie Klein says he has never seen a set of fiscal challenges as deep and difficult as what Providence – and other – hospitals face today in Southern California. (Fine, 5/1)

Axios: Nursing Shortages Show No Signs Of Slowing, Survey Finds
Nearly a third of nurses nationwide say they will likely leave nursing for another career due to the pandemic, a new survey found. Why it matters: Some sectors of the health care industry plagued by significant labor shortages during the pandemic appear to be rebounding, but the AMN Healthcare survey, published on Monday, suggests a shortage of nurses may continue to be a major challenge for health care providers for years to come. (Dreher, 5/1)

Capital & Main: A Wildly Ambitious New Bill Would Raise The Minimum Wage For Hundreds Of Thousands In California
The latest legislative effort to give hundreds of thousands of health care workers a wage that enables them to afford living in California is facing predictable headwinds. Industry lobbyists quickly forecasted mass job cuts and higher costs to patients, while the powerful California Chamber of Commerce labeled the proposal a job killer. But behind the shouting lies a larger truth: The issue of affordability isn’t going away. And regardless of the fate of the most current bill, California’s aging population, with its growing need for health care services, virtually assures that the topic will continue to be visited. (Kreidler, 4/28)

Oakland Post: Action Required: Medi-Cal Renewal Process Is Underway Across California
Californians enrolled in Medi-Cal should keep an eye out for a yellow envelope in their mailbox over the next 14 months. The Medi-Cal eligibility of over 15.4 million Golden State residents is under review for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. If a Medi-Cal beneficiary does receive the yellow envelope, they must provide their current contact information to health care officials as soon as possible to retain their Medi-Cal coverage, noted California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Assistant Deputy Director Yingjia Huang. (Jackson, 4/28)

Modern Healthcare: How Medicaid Redeterminations Are Changing Health System Strategies
Health systems are nervously awaiting Medicaid redeterminations as the process will remove millions of people from government-backed insurance plans and shrink providers’ bottom lines. (Kacik, 5/1)

The Hill: Attention Turns To The Senate After House GOP Passes Debt Limit Bill
Attention will turn to the Senate this week as the standoff over raising the debt ceiling continues, with pressure mounting on the upper chamber to act after House Republicans cleared a bill that would raise the borrowing limit and implement spending cuts. (Schnell, 5/1)

AP: What GOP's Plan For Medicaid Work Requirements Would Mean 
More than a half million of the poorest Americans could be left without health insurance under legislation passed by House Republicans that would require people to work in exchange for health care coverage through Medicaid. It’s one of dozens of provisions tucked into a GOP bill that would allow for an increase in the debt limit but curb government spending over the next decade. (Seitz, 4/30)

San Francisco Chronicle: California Lawmakers Debate Fentanyl Bills As Overdose Crisis Mounts
California Democrats blocked several fentanyl bills amid concerns they would lead to mass incarceration, even as they face pressure to act amid a rising overdose crisis. On Thursday, Democrats stalled AB367 and AB1058, which would increase punishments for fentanyl dealers, in the Assembly Public Safety Committee during a hearing on a series of fentanyl bills Thursday. (Bollag, 4/27)

KQED: Newsom Taps California Highway Patrol, National Guard To Fight San Francisco’s Fentanyl Crisis
A new team of officers from the California Highway Patrol and the California National Guard will step in to train and assist San Francisco Police in disrupting fentanyl dealing and trafficking, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday. (Johnson 4/28)

The Wall Street Journal: For Babies Born Dependent On Opioids, Doctors Try New Caregiving Approach 
Thousands of babies are born each year to mothers who are using opioids. The newborns enter the world in withdrawal—some fussy and sweating, others struggling to feed. The treatment, until recently, was to separate the babies from their mothers, start them on morphine, and keep them isolated for days or weeks of intensive care. Now doctors have a new treatment: Mom. Doctors and researchers are encouraging parents to soothe their newborns as they shed their dependence on opioids, and using morphine as a last resort. (Wernau, 4/30)

AP: Frustration Grows Over Wait On OxyContin Maker's Settlement
More than a year after OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma reached a tentative settlement over the toll of opioids that was accepted nearly universally by the groups suing the company — including thousands of people injured by the drug — money is still not rolling out. Parties waiting to finalize the deal are waiting for a court to rule on the legality of a key detail: whether members of the Sackler family who own the company can be protected from lawsuits over OxyContin in exchange for handing over up to $6 billion in cash over time plus the company itself. (Mulvihill, 4/29)

CalMatters: Lawmakers Want More Social Media Regulation. Here Are The Legal Hurdles That Could Face
A California bill would hold social media companies legally responsible for addicting kids to their platforms. Tech lobbyists, digital rights advocates, and others say the proposal would run afoul of federal law and the U.S. Constitution. (Gedye, 5/1)

NBC News: Eating Disorders Like Anorexia, Bulimia Are More Severe Than Ever
Teen eating disorders have never been this rampant — or this severe. Hospitalizations for eating disorders spiked during the pandemic, doubling among adolescent girls, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While most teens have returned to a normal life of in-person school, sports and social activities, eating disorders, especially anorexia, remain at an all-time high, experts warn. (Hopkins, 4/29)

NBC News: Troubled Teen Relationships Can Have Lasting Health Problems, Research Finds
Teenagers engaged in toxic, controlling dating relationships may be at risk for a variety of problems as they enter adulthood, including drug use, as well as mental and physical health struggles, new research finds. The study, published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, also showed that such teens are likely to repeat patterns of unhealthy — potentially dangerous — intimate relationships. (Edwards, 5/1)

Los Angeles Times: California College Students Demand Free Transportation To Sexual Assault Exams
Weeks before UC Irvine opened its sexual assault forensic exam site, a student needed it. She walked into the nearest emergency room after her attack only to find out that it did not offer rape test kits. By the time she was rerouted, it was 2 a.m., and the student, exhausted in the throes of trauma, declined to make the trip to Anaheim to the nearest facility offering an exam — more than 19 miles off campus. (Mays, 5/1)

CBS News: Mental Health Of LGBTQ Youth Worsening In Current "Hostile Political Climate," Survey Finds
The mental health of LGBTQ youth is worsening in the current political climate, according to the results of a national survey released Monday by The Trevor Project. Nearly one in three LGBTQ young people surveyed said their mental health was poor most of the time or always due to legislation and policies targeting the LGBTQ community in states across the U.S. Nearly two in three LGBTQ young people said that "hearing about potential state or local laws banning people from discussing LGBTQ people at school (also known as 'Don't Say Gay') made their mental health a lot worse." (Tabachnick, 5/1)

CapRadio: California Is Not Collecting Enough Data About LGBTQ+ Health, Audit Finds
A new audit, released Thursday, finds California is missing opportunities to learn more about LGBTQ+ health in the state. The auditor found that only a small number of the forms the California Department of Public Health distributes to collect demographic data include questions about sexual orientation and gender identity, otherwise known as SOGI data. “The department has not had clear and consistent policies regarding how such forms should collect SOGI data,” the report said. It also found local public health jurisdictions across the state lack guidance or training in how to collect the information. (Wolffe, 4/28)

San Francisco Chronicle: New UCSF Research Spotlights Prostate Cancer Risk In Transgender Women
Transgender women have a small but meaningful risk of prostate cancer, but traditional screening tools may not work well for them, especially if they’re taking estrogen for gender-affirming care, according to a national study led by UCSF researchers. The research, published Saturday in the journal JAMA, is the first in the U.S. to look at prostate cancer in transgender women. It underscores the need to improve overall health care for transgender people, who are underrepresented in medical research and who experience worse outcomes than cisgender patients for all kinds of health issues. (Allday, 4/29)

CalMatters: California Homeless Housing Bill Targets City Planning
All over California, cities are falling far short when it comes to providing enough shelter for their homeless communities. More than 69,000 homeless residents live in Los Angeles County, for instance, but that county has just over 21,000 beds in shelters and temporary housing programs. (Kendall, 5/1)

CalMatters: California’s Next Housing Crackdown Could Force Cities To Plan More Homeless Shelters
California cities of every size lack shelter beds for the state’s growing homeless population. A new bill would force local governments to do more, and punish ones that don’t plan housing for homeless Californians. (Kendall, 5/1)

San Diego Union-Tribune: Confiscated Wheelchairs, Dangerous Bunks, No Sign Language: San Diego County Jails Are Perilous For People With Disabilities, Suit Says
Esquivel is one of 15 disabled plaintiffs who recently submitted sworn testimony as part of the case, which seeks to require the Sheriff’s Department to do more to protect the medical and mental health of people in custody. (Davis and McDonald, 4/30)

The Bakersfield Californian: California, Kern Seek Ways To Reduce Number Of Incarcerated Mentally Ill 
In his 50 years as a psychologist — including 20 years as a prison therapist — McDill has watched the issues of homelessness, prisons and mental health become increasingly intertwined. Yet, in recent years, as the state approved a flurry of changes to how it deals with mental health problems, he remains unconvinced anything will improve. (Donegan, 4/29)

The Washington Post: Gene Therapy For Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Brings Hope To Patients
After decades of neglect, stigma and underfunding, sickle cell is getting the equivalent of the red carpet treatment in science. It’s the target of a competitive biotech race, with scientists and companies using a crop of cutting-edge tools to try to cure the debilitating illness. ... It’s a dramatic about-face for sickle cell patients, who have often felt abandoned by the medical system. The rare disease afflicts about 100,000 people in the United States, most of them Black. Racism at both the institutional and interpersonal level has stymied funding and alienated patients, who are often treated as drug-seekers when they show up in emergency rooms in acute pain. (Johnson, 4/28)

The New York Times: Researchers Identify Possible New Risk For Breast Cancer
Scientists have long known that dense breast tissue is linked to an increased risk of breast cancer in women. A study published on Thursday in JAMA Oncology adds a new twist, finding that while breast density declines with age, a slower rate of decline in one breast often precedes a cancer diagnosis in that breast. (Rabin, 4/28)

CBS San Francisco: Michael J. Fox On Parkinson's And How He Finds "Optimism Is Sustainable"
The "Family Ties" and "Back to the Future" actor who's become just as famous for his very public fight against Parkinson's looks back on superstardom; the recently-announced advance in Parkinson's research; and the new documentary about his life, "Still." (Pauley, 4/30)

The New York Times: Bilingualism May Stave Off Dementia, Study Suggests
Speaking two languages provides the enviable ability to make friends in unusual places. A new study suggests that bilingualism may also come with another benefit: improved memory in later life. Studying hundreds of older patients, researchers in Germany found that those who reported using two languages daily from a young age scored higher on tests of learning, memory, language and self-control than patients who spoke only one language. (Padmanabhan, 4/28)