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Appeals Court Revives Vaccine Exemption Lawsuit Against Boston Hospital
A federal judge ruled in favor of a woman after she was fired by Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital after refusing the COVID-19 vaccine over her religious beliefs and anti-abortion views.
Amanda Bazinet, a former executive office manager at the hospital in Milton, filed for a vaccine exemption based on a religious objection in 2021, according to court documents. She was fired when the hospital rejected her accommodation, and Bazinet took religious discrimination claims to court.
The U.S. District Court for Massachusetts dismissed the lawsuit last year, finding that Bazinet did not prove her beliefs were sincerely held and that the hospital would have suffered undue hardship by allowing her to mask and test regularly in lieu of the vaccination.
People With ADHD Are Turning to AI Apps to Help With Tasks. Experts Say Try It Cautiously
Becky Litvintchouk didn’t think she’d be able to manage the mountain of tasks needed to become an entrepreneur. Every other part of her life has been overwhelming because of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which can impact her ability to concentrate.
So, she turned to artificial intelligence (AI). The app Claude helps her decide which contracts made the most sense for her hygienic-wipes business, GetDirty, without having to read them word for word. She also created business plans by telling the generative AI bot what her goals were and having it create steps for her to get there.
Experts say generative AI tools can help people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder — who experience difficulties with focusing, organizing and controlling impulses — to get through tasks quicker. But they also caution that it shouldn’t replace traditional treatment for ADHD, and also expressed concerns about potential overreliance and invasion of privacy.
How Your Cat or Dog Could Warn of a Bird Flu Outbreak
Trupanion, a Seattle-based pet insurance company, is partnering with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to create a disease tracking system for pets, the company announced this week. The system will draw on insurance claims submitted to Trupanion in real time when sick dogs and cats visit the veterinarian.
“The concept is to proactively detect potential threats to pets and public health,” said Dr. Steve Weinrauch, the chief veterinary and product officer at Trupanion.
The effort, which also includes academic scientists and other companies in the pet industry, is still in its early stages. Initially, it will focus on bird flu, a virus that has been spreading through American dairy cows and spilling over into domestic cats.
“This is a really important public-private partnership that is going to help fill some important gaps,” said Dr. Casey Barton Behravesh, who directs the CDC’s One Health Office, which focuses on the connections between human, animal and environmental health.
Delhi Govt Considers Facial Recognition System to Enhance School Attendance Tracking
Delhi government is mulling to introduce facial recognition system in schools as part of its efforts to improve student attendance and streamline administrative processes.
This proposal was a key topic during a high-level meeting held on July 25, where officials discussed various strategies to enhance transparency and efficiency within the education system, according to a report in Indian Express.
Current attendance rates in the Delhi’s schools are reported to be between 65% and 70%, prompting calls for measures to address this issue. Citing an official, the report said that senior officials highlighted the importance of improving attendance, indicating that a “significant improvement” is necessary.
The proposed use of facial recognition technology is intended to automate attendance tracking, reduce potential errors, and provide parents with regular updates. However, the proposal has sparked some concerns among educators.
COVID Vaccine Mandates Linked to Increased Uptake Among Healthcare Workers
A new study in JAMA Network Open shows that state COVID-19 vaccine mandates for healthcare workers (HCWs) issued in 17 states in 2021 were associated with increased vaccine uptake.
The authors found that states with vaccines mandates had a nearly 4% increase in vaccination rates compared with non-mandate states, with even bigger gains in states with no test-out options.
The study included 31,142 HCWs sampled across 45 states, including 16 states with vaccine mandates issued in mid-2021. The outcomes measured were increases in the proportions of vaccinated HCWs and those who completed or intended to complete the vaccination series two weeks after mandate announcement relative to baseline proportions of 88% and 86% vaccinated HCWs, respectively.
The authors found a mandate-associated 3.46 percentage point (pp) (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.29 to 6.63 pp) increase in the proportion of HCWs ever vaccinated against COVID-19 and a 3.64 pp (95% CI, 0.72 to 6.57 pp) increase in the proportion that completed or intended to complete the primary vaccination series two weeks after a mandate announcement in states with mandates.
