Anti-Vax Verified on Twitter; ‘Laughing Gas’ on the Rise; Medicare Advantage Errors

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When it comes to vaccines, “verified” anti-vax accounts are proliferating on Twitter as the platform’s content and curation controls shift in the wake of its recent ownership transition. (The Guardian)

As this year’s holiday (and respiratory virus) season heats up, this is how a bevy of infectious disease experts are currently responding to COVID, including when it comes to holiday-related activities. (STAT)

Missed monkeypox cases? As the virus fades from public view, scientists are only beginning to learn how it spreads — and that includes without sexual contact or symptoms. (New York Times)

People can test for COVID without visiting a healthcare facility. So, why aren’t there at-home flu tests in the U.S.? (STAT)

No laughing matter: in Europe, recreational use of nitrous oxide, also known as “laughing gas,” is on the rise among young people and leading to a worrying number of poisonings, according to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. (Reuters)

Bacterial infections are the second-leading cause of death globally and were linked to one in eight deaths in 2019. (The Lancet)

Newly released federal audits, obtained exclusively by Kaiser Health News through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, revealed millions of dollars in overcharges and other errors in payments to Medicare Advantage health plans. (KHN)

Suffering from seasonal depression? Here are some tools that may help to combat the fog. (USA Today)

With opioid settlement funds rolling in — including one settlement for $26 billion — states are varied in their planned approaches for how to use the monies. (KHN)

As children’s hospitals with transgender healthcare programs face online threats of violence, dozens of House Democrats are calling on the Department of Justice to counter such threats and provide further guidance for keeping staff and patients safe. (The Hill)

Anxiety diagnoses are rising among children. Some are facing their fears through “exposure therapy.” (New York Times)

As hospitals look for ways to mitigate their carbon footprints, could telehealth help? (STAT)

Newly reported data show that in 2020, the emergency department visit rate was highest for Black or African-American people (70 visits per 100 people) compared with other racial and ethnic groups, according to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. Among other findings: an estimated 6.7% of 2020 visits had mention of COVID.

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