Dartmouth Cancer Center study examining women’s knowledge of breast density suggests opportunities for education and improvement

LEBANON – Breast density is one factor in assessing a person’s risk of developing breast cancer. Existing state breast density notification laws have increased breast density awareness among patients and providers, but clinical records had not been incorporated in studies to confirm accuracy of personal breast density knowledge. A research team at Dartmouth Cancer Center worked with the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium to both survey women and incorporate their clinical records from 15 mammography facilities across three states to find out how much women knew about their own breast density.

The study, “Breast Density Knowledge in a Screening Mammography Population Exposed to Density Notification,” recently published online in the Journal of the American College of Radiology, found that while breast density knowledge may be increasing due to existing state laws, there is still room for improvement, and that clinicians need tools to engage with women in understanding their personal breast cancer risks and screening options.

“Particular consideration should be given to those with lower literacy in the design of those tools,” says lead author Rebecca Smith, MS, a PhD student at Dartmouth in The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice doctoral program at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. “There may also be benefit to standardized breast density communications for all women—women with dense and non-dense breasts—as opposed to just women with dense breasts.”

The team set out to measure accuracy and predictors of women’s breast density knowledge in a nationally representative sample of women eligible for breast cancer screening, who had not had a previous breast cancer. They also examined women’s understanding of the implications of breast density and breast density’s impact on future screening intentions.

“Health care providers will need decision support tools to keep informed of evolving evidence on who may benefit from supplemental screening and for engaging women in shared decision making,” says Smith. “Density notifications should be tailored and accessible to a wide range of literacy levels. There may be benefit to standardized breast density communications for both women with dense and non-dense breasts.”

The majority (76%) of women with dense breasts correctly knew their breast density, while most women with non-dense breasts did not (14%). About one-third of women with non-dense breasts believed they had dense breasts and women who believed they had dense breasts were more likely than women who believed they had non-dense breasts to want supplemental screening. Density reporting to all women, compared to only women with dense breasts, was associated with an increased chance of accurate breast density knowledge for women with non-dense breasts. Lower education was associated with a lower chance of correctly knowing one’s own density.

Anna Tosteson, ScD, Associate Director for Population Sciences at Dartmouth Cancer Center and the study’s senior author, notes “Our study’s findings are important for policy makers to consider when designing pending national breast density notification regulations.”

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WORTHINGTON — If advanced practice providers, or APPs, ever went away, you’d notice. They’re an irreplaceable part of health care. Their reach goes far and wide. They work with physicians to see, and treat, patients of all ages.

Some patients have questions about APPs, and what exactly they do.

We’ve got answers.

Who is an APP? Many providers fall under the umbrella term of an APP. They include Nurse practitioners, Certified nurse midwives, Certified registered clinical nurse specialists, Certified registered nurse anesthetists and Physician assistants.

APPs provide multiple services for patients including diagnosing and treating conditions and illnesses; diagnostic tests, including laboratory and medical imaging; prescribing medications and alternate treatments; informing patients on health conditions and prevention of illnesses; and communicating with physicians, nurses, social workers and pharmacists to ensure quality patient outcomes

What education do APPs have? Lisa Milbrandt is a PA-C at Sanford Health in Worthington, MN. She said PAs are APPs who have a master’s degree and are licensed to provide medical care with the supervision of a physician.

“We go through a full bachelor’s program in undergrad. Then, the school after that is onto a PA program. The one I went to at Bethel University in St. Paul is a full year of classroom learning.” After that comes clinicals.

“Forty, 60, 80-hour weeks of being strictly in the clinics. Every six weeks you go to a different location and different specialty. We have a little bit of knowledge in every field of medicine. We go from family practice to surgery, to cardiology or dermatology, (and) pediatrics,” she explained.

PAs have a different educational path than the rest of APPs. To become an NP, CNM, CRNA, or CNS, a provider must become a registered nurse first before continuing their education.

Nurse practitioners, for example, “have a bachelor’s degree in nursing; they’ve become nurses and have done a four-year college program for nursing. Then, they have gone on to the graduate level and received whatever specialization they work in,” explained Nicole Block, CNP, from Sanford Health in Worthington.

“There’s a couple different branches, like midwives, nurse anesthetists, clinical nurse specialists, and they have very specific training for their area,” Block added.

Where are APPs needed most? APPs, in all forms, are critical. Especially in rural health care, “where there’s a shortage of physicians,” Milbrandt said.

“It is pretty special to find any providers that want to be in rural settings. I think that’s where APPs have really stepped up. When you choose to be in a rural setting, you chose it. That’s where you want to live and raise your family,” she added.

This helps to forge connections and relationships with patients who call rural America home.

“You’re living in the same community. You know the resources that your patients have and don’t have. It makes the patient-provider relationship even more special.

APPs are a big asset to rural communities and help keep care close to home.

Block said APPs “have ongoing dialogue with physicians in larger cities,” as well as smaller cities in the area. If they have a question about how to help a patient, they can consult a physician.

“Otherwise, patients are having to drive an hour to a larger city, where there’s more medical providers to give them care. I do think we provide kind of a gap closure, if you will, for that. We’re sort of an extension of the medical doctors.”

Can an APP be my primary care provider? Yes, they can be a primary care provider.

“I tell patients I’m going to provide the safest, best care. I reassure them that they will get the appropriate care. We have the training to do this, but of course, if a patient is still uncomfortable, we tell them we’ll talk with a doctor. It’s whatever makes them most comfortable. We do have collaborating physicians,” Block explained.

Milbrandt said a patient can count on APPs to provide them quality primary care, “because we see everything and anything.”

“We do things from wellness physicals to child physicals when people are feeling well. We see people when they’re sick in acute care. We’ll cover anything from coughs and colds to abdominal pains or any acute issues.

“We take care of people as they get into their later stages of life for their chronic medical conditions. So, diabetes, hypertension, anxiety, depression, we will see patients for all of those things.”

To schedule an appointment at Sanford Worthington with an APP, call (507) 372-3800.

Sanford Worthington’s Family Medicine APPs include:

Nicole Block

Nicole Block, CNP

Alettie Lewis

Alettie Lewis, PA-C

Megan Meinders

Megan Meinders, PA-C

Lisa Milbrandt

Lisa Milbrandt, PA-C

William Nelson

William Nelson, PA-C

Women’s Health

Ashley Geraets

Ashley Geraets, CNM

Michelle Kutzke

Michelle Kutzke, WHNP

Orthopedics & Sports Medicine

Holly Klink

Holly Klink, CNP

Anesthesia

Aaron Juliar

Aaron Juliar, CRNA

William Welch

William Welch, CRNA

Medical Oncology

Sabrina Sowles

Sabrina Sowles, CNP

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April 25, 2022 9:45 PM

AP, CNN

Posted: April 25, 2022 9:45 PM

Updated: April 26, 2022 7:31 AM

WHO: 1 child has died in mystery liver disease outbreak

The World Health Organization says at least one death has been reported in connection with a mysterious liver disease outbreak affecting children in Europe and the United States.

The U.N. health agency said late Saturday that it has so far received reports of at least 169 cases of “acute hepatitis of unknown origin” from a dozen countries.

The cases were reported in children aged one month to 16 years old, and 17 of those who fell ill required liver transplants. WHO didn’t say in which country the death occurred. 

Read more here:

Without funding US will lose COVID treatments, says White House

For much of the past two years, America has been first in line for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. Now, as drugmakers develop the next generation of therapies, the White House is warning that if Congress doesn’t act urgently the U.S. will have to take a number.

Already the congressional stalemate over virus funding has forced the federal government to curtail free treatment for the uninsured and to ration monoclonal antibody supplies. And Biden administration officials are expressing increasing alarm that the U.S. is also losing out on critical opportunities to secure booster doses and new antiviral pills that could help the country maintain its reemerging sense of normalcy.

Read more here:

Bird flu drives free-range hens indoors

Is it OK for free-range chickens to not range freely?

That’s a question free-range egg producers have been pondering lately as they try to be open about their product while also protecting chickens from a highly infectious bird flu that has resulted in the death of roughly 28 million poultry birds across the country.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that chickens be moved indoors to protect against the disease, but while some are keeping their hens inside, not everyone agrees.

Read more here:

Dietitians are using TikTok to urge you to stop dieting

Many dietitians are making a plea you might have always wanted but never thought you would hear: Stop dieting.

Now, you can find some of them on social media platforms such as TikTok, using the latest dances, trends and science-backed information to reach younger generations. These anti-diet dieticians want to steer people away from what they call “diet culture,” which they say prioritizes smaller sizes over health and drastic restriction over lifestyle changes.

Read more here:

Get more health news here:

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SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – Georgia’s Tobacco 21 law took effect in July 2020 — but officials say awareness was overshadowed because of the pandemic.

“It kind of snuck in there. We’re finding that a lot of our community members aren’t aware,” said Christina Gibson, the chronic disease director at the Coastal Health District (CHD).

The new law makes it illegal to sell cigarettes and tobacco or vapor products to those under 21. Non-compliance will result in a misdemeanor.

The CHD recently organized an awareness campaign to shed light on the rules. Officials said it comes as the use of tobacco and e-cigarette products is growing in high schools.

Saturday is Drug Take Back Day; drop-off sites near you

“Among Georgia high schoolers, the rate is now 17 percent versus 12 percent back in 2018,” said Gibson. “That uptick in the vaping rates shows us that there’s some awareness issue and that there’s a possibility that our young people think that vaping is safer.”

Now, businesses selling tobacco in Chatham County will receive updated signage about the law and are encouraged to spread awareness in hopes of keeping the products out of the classroom. 

“We want to give our kids as much brain power as they can possibly have to learn and to make good students,” said Gibson. “And it’s affecting their learning, their attention span, affects their moods and controls impulse. We’re trying to get the people to understand the strength that nicotine has.”

Walmart to end cigarette sales in some stores

The Georgia Tobacco Quit Line is available to residents 13 and older who are wishing to quit smoking, vaping or using tobacco:

• 1-877-270-7867 (English)
• 1-877-266-3863 (Spanish)
• 1-877-777-6534 (Hearing Impaired)

Those who want to quit the use of vape products can also enroll in This is Quitting by texting VAPEFREEGA to 88709.

For more information on the Tobacco 21 law, visit the CHD’s website linked here.

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which announced the proposal Friday as part of a proposed rule for Medicare, says Congress gave the agency authority to offer enrollment for exceptional conditions last year.

Modern Healthcare:
CMS Proposes 5 Medicare Special Enrollment Periods

Medicare beneficiaries experiencing specific illnesses or circumstances could soon get Part B coverage outside the normal open enrollment periods under a proposed rule released Friday. Individuals who are impacted by an emergency or disaster, formerly incarcerated people and those subject to a health plan or employer error that prevented them from enrolling in Medicare on time could get coverage during special enrollment periods under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposal. (Goldman, 4/22)

In Medicaid news from Texas, Alaska, Ohio, New York, and Alabama —

The Texas Tribune:
Biden Administration Drops Fight Over Texas’ Medicaid Waiver 

A federal health care program that Texas uses to help pay for health care for uninsured Texans — worth billions of dollars annually — is safe for another decade after the federal government said Friday that it would stop fighting the Trump-era agreement to extend the program beyond its expiration date later this year. “It is not the best use of the federal government’s limited resources to continue to litigate this matter,” reads a letter sent Friday to state health officials from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. “This should resolve the issue without the need for further litigation and will create no disruption to the people who rely on Texas’ Medicaid program.” (Harper, 4/22)

Anchorage Daily News:
Thousands Of Alaskans Could Lose Medicaid Benefits When Federal Health Emergency Ends

Thousands of Alaskans could lose Medicaid benefits as soon as July, when the federal government’s COVID-19 health emergency is expected to end. Alaska’s state health officials face the daunting task of combing through pandemic-swollen Medicaid rolls to establish who will no longer be eligible for benefits when the emergency ends. Health officials, who say they have been preparing for the shift for months, are concerned many of those Alaskans could soon find themselves without health insurance — particularly people who don’t know what steps to take to keep their coverage, don’t have up-to-date contact information on file, or who don’t act in time. (Berman, 4/24)

News 5 Cleveland:
As Pandemic Ebbs, Fears Grow That Ohioans Will Be Improperly Forced Off Of Medicaid

Ohioans are no doubt greatly relieved that the coronavirus pandemic appears to be winding down — and taking with it the sickness, death and inconvenience of the past two years. But as it does, thousands of Ohioans will be hustled off of Medicaid, the health program for the poor and disabled. And it’s unclear what remedies they’ll have if they’re taken off the program improperly. (Schladen, 4/25)

Buffalonews.com:
CAO Overbilled Medicaid $18.16 At A Time; Files $1M Lawsuit For Being ‘Lulled Into Complacency’ 

An $18.16 mistake – made over and over again – has put the Community Action Organization of Western New York in a half-million dollar bind. The organization mistakenly added a weekly charge of $18.16 when billing Medicaid for many of those in its outpatient chemical dependence services program, according to an audit by the New York State Office of Medicaid Inspector General. (Lakamp, 4/24)

AL.com:
Robert Bentley Urges Ivey, Legislature To Expand Medicaid: ‘Healthcare Simply Must Be Prioritized’ 

After not expanding Medicaid while he was in office, former Gov. Robert Bentley on Friday urged his successor and the Alabama Legislature to do just that, imploring them to “look beyond politics to the needs of our rural communities.” Bentley, who did not expand Medicaid even as the task force he convened to study the issue suggested he and the Legislature get it done, contended in a letter published Thursday by Alabama Political Reporter that he was not being inconsistent by calling on Gov. Kay Ivey to expand coverage of the insurance program. (Koplowitz, 4/23)

This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.

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Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Shanghai reports 51 covid-related deaths for April 24, up from 39 a day earlier

Chinese financial hub Shanghai reported 51 new deaths among its COVID-19 patients on April 24, up from 39 the day before, the local government said on Monday. The city also recorded 16,983 new local asymptomatic coronavirus cases, down from 19,657 a day earlier. The number of confirmed symptomatic infections stood at 2,472, up from 1,401 the previous day.

New Ebola case confirmed in northwestern Congo, health authorities say

A new case of Ebola has been confirmed in the northwestern Democratic Republic of Congo, prompting health authorities to enforce urgent containment measures just four months after the previous outbreak came to an end. The case, a 31-year-old male, was detected in the city of Mbandaka, the capital of Congo’s Equateur province. Around 74 of his contacts are being tracked, the health ministry said in a statement.

Japan’s Shionogi says COVID-19 pill shows rapid clearance of virus

An experimental treatment from Shionogi & Co Ltd has shown rapid clearance of the virus that causes COVID-19, according to new data, the Japanese drugmaker said on Sunday. The pill, S-217622, “demonstrated rapid clearance of the infectious SARS-CoV-2 virus”, Shionogi said in a statement, citing Phase-2b results from the Phase II/III clinical trial of the drug.

Beijing’s biggest district begins COVID mass testing

Beijing kicked off three rounds of COVID-19 testing for all residents of its biggest district Chaoyang on Monday after dozens of cases were reported, prompting people to stock up on food over fears of an eventual strict Shanghai-style lockdown. Authorities in Chaoyang, home to 3.45 million people, late on Sunday ordered residents and those who work there to undergo testing this week as Beijing warned the virus had “stealthily” spread in the city for about a week before being detected.

WHO says at least one child has died after an increase of acute hepatitis cases in children

The World Health Organization said on Saturday that at least one child death had been reported following an increase of acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children and that at least 169 cases had been reported in children in 12 countries. The WHO issued the figures as health authorities around the world investigate a mysterious increase in severe cases of hepatitis – inflammation of the liver – in young children.

Italy reports 56,263 new coronavirus cases, 79 deaths

Italy reported 56,263 new COVID-19 related cases on Sunday, against 70,520 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily number of deaths fell to 79 from 143. Italy has registered 162,688 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak emerged in February 2020, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the eighth highest in the world. The country has reported 16.1 million cases to date.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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Deaths from almost all causes, including heart disease and stroke, are decreasing, with two notable exceptions – suicides and overdoses.

Suicide deaths have risen 33 percent over the last two decades, while overdose deaths increased 28.5 percent in a 12-month period ending April 2021.

“They’re twin public health crises and we’re seeing just as dramatic an increase in both,” said Paul Nestadt, MD, co-director of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Anxiety Disorders Clinic, during Grand Rounds at the Institute of Living.

Nestadt went on to explain that suicide is the 10th leading cause of death and second in youth behind unintentional injury, which includes poisoning. Poisonings are mostly opioid-related, and have increased 42.9 percent in youth.

Suicide and opioid use disorder (OUD), Dr. Nestadt said, share common risk factors, including:

• Being male, white and middle aged
• Feeling hopeless
• Experiencing housing, food insecurity and/or unemployment
• Having substance use disorder of some kind
• Experiencing depression, anxiety or chronic pain
• Exposure to trauma
• Lacking access to healthcare

In addition, he said opiate use increases the risk of suicide because the drug is an addictive depressant.

“In an intoxicated state, people are more impulsive, leading to poor decisions,” he explained. “It’s a legal form of suicide attempt.”

He shared statistics further marrying depression/suicide with OUD. A 2014 Veteran’s Administration publication, he said, showed patients with no history of opiate use, when prescribed the drug for pain, were 25 percent more likely to develop dependence within three to six months, and 53 percent more likely after six months.

“The higher the dose, the higher the rate of dependence,” Dr. Nestadt said, adding dependence is present in 80 percent of suicides.

A separate study showed 47 percent of people who committed suicide also struggled with substance abuse, and 91 percent were diagnosed with depression.

“People with severe depression are more than twice as likely to use opiates for reasons aside from pain, and more than three times as likely to use more than prescribed,” he said.

Treating people for opiate use disorder lowers their risk of dying by suicide by 65 percent, he continued. However, if they return to using, risk jumps by 147 percent.

The gray area is discerning if someone intends to die when taking opiates or dies accidentally, Dr. Nestadt said.

“Poisoning is the most common method of suicide attempt, but it is not always fatal. With opiates, it’s 33 to 48 percent more fatal,” he noted. Opiate accessibility is like “a loaded weapon under the bed.”

Determining whether a suicide attempt is accidental versus intentional can help providers choose an intervention and treatment, he continued. Psychological autopsies and interviews with the person’s next of kin can explain their state of mind at the time of death.

“To save lives, we must first understand the deaths. Is it an overdose where the person was depressed or a suicide where they had opiates?” Dr. Nestadt said.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is asking physicians nationwide to be on the lookout for unusual cases of severe hepatitis in children. The agency issued a health advisory on the matter Thursday.

Nine cases have been reported in Alabama, and an additional two have been identified in North Carolina, according to those states’ health departments.

Dozens of such cases have also been identified in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control announced Tuesday.

Hepatitis refers to inflammation of the liver, a condition that can result in diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Some of the children in Alabama developed jaundice, and blood tests showed signs of elevated liver enzymes.

Several children in that state became so ill that they needed a liver transplant. No deaths have been reported. All were ages 1 through 6 and were healthy previously, without any underlying conditions.

Bailey Pennington, a spokesperson for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, said two “school-aged” children in that state developed severe hepatitis and have since recovered.

“No cause has been found and no common exposures were identified,” Pennington said in a statement.

In Europe, cases have generally been seen in children ages 2 through 5.

Viruses are often the cause of liver inflammation, particularly the hepatitis type A, B, C, D and E viruses. All clinical labs in the U.S. are required to report those viruses when they’re discovered, so health authorities can work to stop outbreaks.

So far, however, all of the usual hepatitis viruses have been ruled out.

Investigators also say neither Covid-19 nor the Covid vaccines have anything to do with the hepatitis cases.

“None of the children in the cluster tested positive for Covid-19 disease. None had previously reported Covid-19 disease,” said Dr. Karen Landers, a health officer for the Alabama Department of Public Health, adding, “None of the children received Covid-19 vaccine.”

Increasingly, signs are pointing to a virus not usually associated with hepatitis: adenovirus type 41. According to the CDC, this particular type of virus is known to cause vomiting and diarrhea in kids, as well as respiratory symptoms akin to the common cold.

“While there have been case reports of hepatitis in immunocompromised children with adenovirus type 41 infection, adenovirus type 41 is not known to be a cause of hepatitis in otherwise healthy children,” the CDC said in its alert.

Five of the nine children in Alabama tested positive for the virus. Their cases occurred from October to February.

The CDC’s health advisory urged “clinicians who may encounter pediatric patients with hepatitis of unknown etiology to consider adenovirus testing and to elicit reporting of such cases to state public health authorities and to CDC.”

A spokesperson for the California Department of Public Health said officials there are “following the situation closely” and “will be working with health care providers to detect cases in California.”

“Noninfectious causes of hepatitis or cases where a virus is not recognized may not be routinely reported,” said AnneMarie Harper, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “We will be reaching out to Colorado health care providers to share information and actively monitor for possible cases in Colorado consistent with these reports.”

Idaho’s state epidemiologist, Dr. Christine Hahn, also said her team is reaching out to pediatric infectious disease physicians and pediatric gastroenterologists.

“So far they are reporting no cases,” she said. “Stay tuned.”

Follow NBC HEALTH on Twitter & Facebook.

Erika Edwards is a health and medical news writer and reporter for NBC News and “TODAY.”

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health

health

Posted Apr 20, 2022, 5:01 pm
TucsonSentinel.com

Safe Kids Pima County is partnering with Tucson Medical Center, the Tucson Police Department and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety to host a car seat giveaway event for parents and caregivers…. Read more»

Updated Sep 1, 2009, 9:01 am
Kaiser Health News
/Kaiser Family Foundation

Health care

As lawmakers prepare to return to Washington to take up health care reform, supporters on both sides of the issue are still making their thoughts heard. U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords can expect some fireworks as she has announced three town halls…. Read more»

Posted Aug 23, 2009, 12:48 pm
Tom Abate
/GlobalPost

Food safety

When a Chicago couple grew dangerously ill two years ago after eating a home-cooked fish dinner, Canadian scientists figured out what had sickened them by using a new genetic test. The Chicago couple — who recovered — had dined on poisonous puffer fish that had been mistakenly labeled as a safe monkfish…. Read more»

Posted Aug 18, 2009, 1:08 pm
Dylan Smith
/TucsonSentinel.com

Ernest Hancock – Viper Militia

Ernest Hancock, who staged an interview with an assault-rifle toting group at an Obama event on Monday, was a vocal friend of right-wing militia members who were convicted of weapons and conspiracy charges, reports TalkingPointsMemo…. Read more»

Posted Aug 17, 2009, 7:46 am
Kaiser Health News
/Kaiser Family Foundation

Health care reform

Obama administration officials are signaling their willingness to compromise on a public plan option in any health reform proposal…. Read more»

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The Justice Department has filed an appeal that seeks to reverse a judge’s recent ruling that ended the nation’s mask mandate on public transit. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had asked the department to appeal the decision, issuing a statement Wednesday that said the mandate “remains necessary for the public health.”

“CDC continues to recommend that people wear masks in all indoor public transportation settings,” the CDC’s statement continued. “CDC’s number one priority is protecting the public health of our nation. As we have said before, wearing masks is most beneficial in crowded or poorly ventilated locations, such as the transportation corridor.”

The Justice Department said Tuesday it would appeal U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle’s decision only if the CDC said the mandate was still necessary. The department said Tuesday that it disagreed with the district court’s decision, and upon filing the appeal, Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley issued a statement Wednesday saying, “In light of today’s assessment by the CDC that an order requiring masking in the transportation corridor remains necessary to protect the public health, the Department has filed a notice of appeal in Health Freedom Defense Fund, Inc., et al., v. Biden, et al.”

On Monday, Mizelle voided the CDC’s requirement covering airplanes and other public transit, ruling that the mandate exceeded the authority of U.S. health officials. In the aftermath, the Transportation Security Administration said it would no longer enforce the mandate.

The judge’s decision came days after the CDC had extended the mask mandate, which had been set to expire Monday, by two weeks to give researchers more time to study the Omicron subvariant BA.2.

However, the response to the ruling has been varied. Some cities, including New York City and Philadelphia, still require masks to be worn in airports and on public transportation, while others, such as Houston and Atlanta, do not. Even airlines now have differing rules for masking, although most now say masks are optional for passengers. Amtrak has also said masks are no longer required on trains or in stations.

Asked Tuesday if people should still wear masks on planes, President Biden replied: “That’s up to them,” according to The Associated Press.

Dr. Céline Gounder, an infectious disease expert and editor-at-large for Kaiser Health News, told “CBS Mornings” that the CDC’s extension was the “appropriate” and “cautious” approach.

“We know that this virus mutates. In fact, it’s mutating very rapidly,” she said. “We will see more variants, and we will see other pandemics after COVID. So I do think the idea of stripping ourselves of an essential tool and toolbox is a really bad idea.”

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