Merck says its new COVID pill cuts hospitalizations and deaths by half

Plus, employer vaccine mandates are working.

View this email online by Jill Hudson and Rachel Treisman Merck & Co./AP Merck says trials of its new COVID-19 pill reduced hospitalizations and deaths by 50% in people recently infected with the coronavirus. The company said it will soon seek authorization for wider use from health officials in the U.S. and around the world. Newsletter continues after sponsor message What Else We're Reading Laura Buckman for KHN The bill for one Texas man's COVID test was a jaw-dropping $54,000. Health policy experts called the price tag "egregious," and yet it's perfectly legal. Requests for religious exemptions from COVID vaccine mandates are on the rise, but they can be hard to get. Case in point: If you object on religious grounds, you may have to attest that you don’t ever use ibuprofen, acetaminophen, Claritin and a host of other medicine. Here's why. Many workers threaten to quit when faced with vaccine mandates, but researchers have found that only a small number actually follow through. Around the country, mandates appear to be working. ➡️ Unvaccinated employees at Houston Methodist Hospital dropped from 15% to 2% after it required the shot. ➡️ Tyson Foods reached a 91% vaccination rate, up from about 50% two months ago. ➡️ United Airlines says more than 99% of it's U.S.-based employees are vaccinated, an increase from 90% of pilots and 80% of flight attendants in August.   As NBA training camp opened this week, a few prominent players brushed off questions about their vaccination status, saying they want to keep that private. But that information might not stay private for long: Several major cities — like New York — bar unvaccinated players from playing in indoor arenas. More than 90% of NBA players and 99% of WNBA players are vaccinated, league officials say. Through all the talk about Pfizer boosters, those who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have wondered when their turn will come. Here's the latest: Scientists and doctors who advise the CDC say people who received the J&J shot may need a booster more urgently than those who received the Pfizer or Moderna. What's Your Story? Kate Kanaley-Miller Kate Kanaley-Miller's husband got his vaccine back in April, but she says she "bowed out" of her vaccine appointment. Kanaley-Miller describes herself as fearful of vaccines in general, stating she felt protected by antibodies after she and her husband contracted the virus in the fall (of that experience, she says, COVID-19 is "no joke even when it is 'mild.' ").  She ultimately decided to roll up her sleeve this summer, motivated by a trip to her granddaughter's September wedding in Los Angeles. (The bride is center in the photo above; another childhood neighbor stands in back. The two on the ends are Kanaley-Miller's daughter and son.) "BUT the chance of catching COVID-19 during our September plans was enough to get me to the vaccination site and get the job done," she says.  "I am fully vaccinated now and I already feel safer," Kanaley-Miller adds. "I continue to wear a mask." QUESTION Send your stories, insights and photos to thenewnormal@npr.org. You could be featured in an upcoming edition of The New Normal newsletter! Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WBEZ (edit station). Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Daily News, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to New Normal emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy