This morning the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee favorably reported the nomination of Craig E. Leen to be Inspector General, Office of Personnel Management “en bloc by voice vote.” The Committee also favorably reported the nomination of Russel Vought to be Director, Office of Management and Budget by a 7-4 roll call vote. Next step for these nominations — the Senate floor for confirmation votes presumably later this month.

Stat News reported on another COVID-19 treatment candidate. A Boston MA company Constant Therapeutics currently manufactures an enzyme therapy that may help COVID-19 patients. The article concludes

Constant’s task ahead is the blocking and tackling of running a clinical trial, something he believes the company is well-prepared for. “I’d love to say that a year from now there’s no need for this drug because we’re all immune, but that’s not going to happen,” [Constant’s CEO] said. “I think we can provide an enormous benefit to people and to the health care system if this drug works. And my gut says that it’s going to.”

These ongoing efforts to give doctors treatments for COVID-19 is our best bet along with public health efforts to bridge the gap to an effective vaccine, in the FEHBlog’s view.

The Wall Street Journal informs us that

In the Covid-19 pandemic, people with obesity are at higher risk for severe illness and death—adding new urgency to efforts to rethink the way doctors treat what has long been a public-health problem.

Instead of focusing only on diet and exercise, medical experts say, health-care providers need to shift to a multipronged strategy that includes new prescription weight-loss medications, behavioral therapy and possibly surgery. And to ensure the best results, they argue, this new approach should be overseen by clinicians specially trained in treating obesity. * * * The fast-emerging specialty of obesity medicine aims to close the education gap.

This is encouraging news. The Journal also reports about a study authored by

Lindsey Woodworth, an assistant professor in economics at the University of South Carolina. [Her study] first showed that when a new emergency room opens, crowding at nearby facilities instantly falls an average of 10%.

She then compared mortality rates at the older emergency departments before and after the change. She found that a 10% drop in patient volume leads to a 24% reduction in mortality rates in the first 30 days and a 17% reduction over six months.

Why can’t lower cost urgent care centers have the same effect?