The United States passed another grim milestone with more than 100,000 patients hospitalized for COVID-19, more than double the number during the spring wave. Total deaths in the United States have surpassed 270,000. (New York Times)
CVS announced plans to administer bamlanivimab, Eli Lilly’s experimental antibody treatment, to COVID-19 patients in their homes and at care facilities. The pilot program is being launched in seven cities, including Boston and Chicago, and will expand as the supply of the drug increases. (Reuters)
The Department of Health and Human Services has unveiled a new plan to address maternal health. Roughly 700 women, mostly of color, die from childbirth-related complications each year in the U.S.Campaign goals include reducing mortality by 50%. (USA Today)
Dr. Anthony Fauci and European Union health experts have characterized the UK approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine as “hasty.” EU regulators expect to reach their own decision on December 29. (Endpoints News)
Gene therapy reverses aging-related vision declines in mice, though the implications for humans remain unclear. Scientists were able to reprogram neurons to make them more resistant to damage and able to regrow after injury, like cells in younger mice. (Science)
