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Capital Health, a New Jersey health system, has reported experiencing
network outages believed to be the result of a cybersecurity incident,
making it the latest target of a cyber-attack in the healthcare sector.
While the extent of the impact and exposure of data, including patient,
employee, or financial information, remains unclear,
disruptions to
services, such as outpatient radiology and certain testing appointments,
have been noted, with surgeries being prioritized based on urgency.
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The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a rule that
would require water systems in the country to replace millions of lead
service lines within 10 years, accelerating progress toward the Biden
administration's goal of removing 100% of lead pipes.
The proposal states
that regardless of the lead levels in tap or other drinking water samples,
lines must be replaced within a decade. The Safe Drinking Water Act
authorizes the EPA to establish regulations for public water systems, and
the proposed rule aims to strengthen the ways the Lead and Copper Rule
targets lead in drinking water, with improvements in testing methods and
a lower lead action level.
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Life expectancy in the U.S. increased in 2022, showing a 1.1-year rise from
2021, primarily due to a decrease in COVID-19 deaths. However, the
current life expectancy of 77.5 years still falls short of the 2019 figure of 78.8
years, highlighting the enduring impact of the pandemic on public health.
The increase is attributed to declines in COVID-19 deaths, as well as
smaller decreases in deaths from other causes such as cancer, heart
disease, homicide, and unintentional injuries.
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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating certain
cancer treatments, including chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T)
therapies, amid reports of an association with the risk of developing
secondary cancers. The agency received 19 reports of T-cell
malignancies, such as lymphomas, in individuals who underwent
treatment with specific CAR-T therapies, which involve modifying T cells in
a lab to attack cancer cells.
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The US has seen a record number of suicides in 2022, with an estimated
49,449 individuals taking their own lives, marking a 3% increase from
the previous year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. The suicide rate rose by
1% to 14.3 deaths per 100,000, the highest rate since 1941. Suicides by
firearm in the United States have reached an all-time high, rising 11%
between 2019 and 2022, with an estimated 27,024 deaths by suicide using
firearms in 2022.
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