Based on the CDC’s Covid Data Tracker and using Thursday as the first day of the week, here is the FEHBlog’s latest chart of weekly new Covid cases from the 27th week of 2021 through the 6th week of 2022.

The chart shows a steep drop in Covid cases this year. Yet, according to the CDC, the rate of Omicron transmission remains high across our country. The CDC also reports

The current 7-day daily average for February 2–February 8, 2022, was 12,099 [new Covid hospitalizations]. This is a 25.4% decrease from the prior 7-day average (16,212) from January 26–February 1, 2022.

For the reasons explained in this Medscape article, the weekly count of Covid deaths continues to increase.

Finally, here is the FEHBlog’s chart of weekly Covid vaccinations distributed and administered.

New vaccinations, including boosters, have run under four million weekly for the past two weeks.

Here is a link to the CDC’s weekly review of its Covid statistics. The CDC’s critical observation is as follows:

COVID Data Tracker shows that as of February 10, 2022, about 213.4 million people, or 64.3% percent of the total U.S. population, have received a primary series of a COVID-19 vaccine.

However, only about half of those eligible to receive a booster dose have done so. Everyone ages 12 years and older should get a booster shot after they have completed their COVID-19 vaccine primary series. Omicron is extremely contagious, and even though overall severity is lower, the high volume of hospitalizations has strained the healthcare system. Being up to date with vaccination, in coordination with other key prevention strategies, is critical for preventing severe illness from COVID-19 and for reducing the likelihood of new variants from emerging. Find a vaccine provider and get your booster dose as soon as you can.

CDC’s Fluview adds “Sporadic influenza activity continues across the country.” The 2021 and 2002 winters have featured many Covid infections, but not that many flu infections.

The Wall Street Journal reports

U.S. drug regulators authorized the use of a new Covid-19 antibody drug from Eli Lilly & Co. that retains effectiveness against the Omicron variant of the virus, filling a void after authorities stopped distributing some older antibody drugs that lost effectiveness against the strain.

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday cleared the drug, bebtelovimab, for the treatment of mild to moderate Covid-19 in nonhospitalized individuals 12 and older who are at high risk of getting severely sick. The drug is intended for people who can’t get access to alternative Covid-19 treatments, or for whom those treatments aren’t appropriate.

Yesterday, the Biden administration announced the purchase of 600,000 courses of this drug.

From the Covid vaccine front, the Journal further reports that the Food and Drug delayed consideration of granting emergency use authorization to the Pfizer BioNTech Covid vaccine for children ages six months through four years.

The FDA had been considering a request by the companies to clear the use of two doses of the vaccine. The agency was then going to look at expanding the authorization to a third dose, should the study show it works safely.

The new move [to consider all three dose at one time] will delay the rollout of the shot for children younger than 5, the last age group without access to vaccination.

Pfizer and BioNTech said they expect results on whether three doses of the vaccine works safely in early April. Researchers are collecting more data, including from more children in the study who have become infected as more time has passed.

The FEHBlog, who has young grandchildren, honestly does not understand why the government has been pushing so hard to vaccinate this age group.

From the opioid epidemic front, the American Medical Association informs us

The New York Times (2/10, Hoffman) reports that on Thursday, the CDC “proposed new guidelines for prescribing opioid[s]…that remove its previous recommended ceilings on doses for chronic pain patients and instead encourage doctors to use their best judgment.” Although they are “still in draft form, the 12 recommendations…are the first comprehensive revisions of the agency’s opioid prescribing guidelines since 2016,” and “they walk a fine line between embracing the need for doctors to prescribe opioids to alleviate some cases of severe pain while guarding against exposing patients to the well-documented perils of opioids.”

The AP (2/10, Stobbe) reports that the proposed changes are “contained in a 229-page draft update in the Federal Register,” and “the CDC will consider comments before finalizing the updated guidance.”

The Washington Post (2/10, Bernstein) reports that in a statement, AMA Board of Trustees Chair Bobby Mukkamala, M.D., said, “for nearly six years, the AMA has urged the CDC to reconsider its problematic guideline on opioid prescriptions that proved devastating for patients with pain. The CDC’s new draft guideline – if followed by policymakers, health insurance companies and pharmacy chains – provides a path to remove arbitrary prescribing thresholds, restore balance and support comprehensive, compassionate care.”

From the quality metrics front, NCQA released its proposed HEDIS and CAHPS changes for the 2023 measurement year today. NCQA is proposing to retire the CAHPS flu vaccination measure, which currently is included in OPM’s set of QCR measures used in the Plan Performance Assessment program. NCQA’s public comment period on the proposed changes closes on March 11.

From the Rx coverage front, STAT News tells us

In a move hailed by pharmacies, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission plans to vote later this month on whether to examine pharmacy benefits managers and how their controversial practices affect independent and specialty pharmacy operations.

The agency disclosed the planned Feb. 17 vote in a brief notice that specified interest in the “competitive impact of contractual provisions and reimbursement adjustments, and other practices affecting drug prices,” but did not provide any further detail. An FTC spokesperson wrote us that additional information will not be released until the upcoming meeting.

The FEHBlog will keep an eye on this vote.

From the Aduhelm front, Health Payer Intelligence discusses AHIP’s comments supporting CMS’s decision to provide very limited coverage of this drug in Medicare.

From the healthcare business front, Fierce Healthcare reports

Kaiser Permanente [the third largest carrier in the FEHB Program] reported $3 billion in net income for the second quarter of the year as membership in its health plan remains steady.

The health system and insurer posted total operating revenues of $23.7 billion against total operating expenses of $23.3 billion. The revenue was slightly above the $22.1 billion it earned in the second quarter of 2020.

Kaiser noted in its earnings statement Friday that favorable financial market conditions resulted in $3 billion in net income, compared with $4.5 billion for the second quarter of 2020.

“The COVID-19 health threat is not over, and we will continue to focus our resources on providing needed care for our patients and increasing vaccination rates to protect the health and safety of our workforce, members and the communities we serve,” said Kaiser CEO Greg Adams in a statement.

If you have time over the Super Bowl weekend, listen to or read Econtalk host Russ Robert’s discussion with macroeconomist John Taylor about inflation. Mr. Taylor created the Taylor Rule “that prescribes a value for the federal funds rate—the short-term interest rate targeted by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC)—based on the values of inflation and economic slack such as the output gap or unemployment gap.”