Molnupiravir No Silver Bullet; Tests in Short Supply; ‘Hair Popping,’ ‘Dry Scooping’

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Merck’s oral antiviral drug, molnupiravir, may not be very effective against moderate COVID illness. (Reuters)

Moderna continues to resist White House pressure to ramp up COVID-19 vaccine production for international donations. (Politico)

COVID tests are getting harder to find amid changing federal guidance on testing and increased testing in schools. (ABC News)

“Long COVID” now has an official clinical case definition from the World Health Organization — fatigue, shortness of breath, and brain fog feature prominently. (Gizmodo)

As of Friday at 8:00 a.m. EDT, the unofficial U.S. COVID-19 toll reached 44,160,455 cases and 710,185 deaths, increases of 100,099 and 2,388, respectively, since this time a day ago.

Denmark clarified that it is still offering Moderna’s COVID vaccine to people under 18. (Reuters)

The FDA warned 20 e-cigarette manufacturers about marketing their products after the agency denied authorization.

A leading candidate for FDA commissioner reportedly has no interest in the job. (Endpoints)

At some Texas clinics, abortions have resumed beyond the 6-week mark after a federal judge suspended the state’s new law. (Wall Street Journal)

Russian-speaking hackers are ramping up cyberattacks on hospitals, according to a new report. (The Hill)

A Massachusetts woman received a 2-year prison sentence for illegal silicone injections for facial and buttock augmentation. (AP)

MSNBC host Rachel Maddow revealed that she underwent a minor surgical procedure to remove skin cancer. (NBC News)

Hair and skin specialists warn against “hair popping,” which has gone viral on social media platform TikTok. (Newsweek)

Artificially sweetened drinks may confuse the body’s normal metabolic processes to cause food cravings and overeating, especially in women and obese people. (NPR)

A school board in North Carolina voted to make face masks optional even though 430 students in the district have been quarantined because of COVID exposures. (ABC News)

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for $8 billion to support a plan to vaccinate at least 40% of people in all countries against COVID-19 by the end of the year, 70% by the end of 2022. (Reuters)

The FDA banned the neurotoxic chemical lead acetate from consumer hair dyes. (Environmental Working Group)

Surgeons had to remove a 4-inch piece of cement from a man’s heart after a failed kyphoplasty procedure for spinal compression. (Newsweek)

Eighteen former NBA players were charged in a multimillion dollar scheme to defraud the league’s health benefit plan by submitting false claims for medical and dental expenses. (AP)

Health authorities warned against a practice known as “dry scooping” protein powders to get an energy boost prior to a workout. (BBC News)

A website that solicits personal stories and commentary on COVID deaths among unvaccinated people has raised questions about the pandemic’s effect on empathy. (Washington Post)