Health News Roundup: Factbox-Where you still need to wear a mask in the United States; ‘We’re done with dead kids’: U.S. bars are handing out free fentanyl tests and more

The Swedish Public Health Agency announced in March that Tegnell would leave his job and join WHO as a senior expert working with vaccine distribution. Ohio jury finds doctor not guilty of murder in fentanyl case -Columbus Dispatch An Ohio jury on Wednesday found Dr. William Husel, who had been accused of giving patients lethal doses of fentanyl, not guilty of 14 counts of murder, the Columbus Dispatch newspaper reported.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Factbox-Where you still need to wear a mask in the United States

Airlines and airports, the ride-sharing company Uber and national train service Amtrak are now lifting mask mandates that have been in place for more than a year. The shift comes after a judge in Florida ruled against a federal mandate and the Biden administration said it would not enforce one even as COVID-19 infections are rising https://graphics.reuters.com/world-coronavirus-tracker-and-maps/countries-and-territories/united-states in the United States, and more than 400 people are dying per day from the airborne disease. But the White House is still urging Americans to wear masks, however, and they are still required in some areas:

'We're done with dead kids': U.S. bars are handing out free fentanyl tests

Walking into the Good Hop craft beer bar in Oakland, California, Alison Heller looks like any other patron thirsting for happy hour. But instead of heading to the bar, she goes straight to the bathroom, opens her backpack, and pulls out a plastic bag with fentanyl test strips. She puts 25 strips in a jar for anyone to take for free.

Lebanon maternal deaths triple, children's health at risk amid crisis, UNICEF says

The number of women in Lebanon dying from pregnancy-related complications has nearly tripled amid a crushing three-year economic crisis that has seen doctors and midwives leave the country, the U.N. children's agency UNICEF said Wednesday. The crisis is also affecting children, especially among Syrian refugees who have fled over the border into Lebanon.

Hong Kong reopens venues, extends dining hours as COVID cases fall

Hong Kong reopened gyms, beauty parlors, theme parks, and cinemas for the first time in more than four months on Thursday, as authorities relax some of the world's most stringent COVID restrictions that have weighed on residents and businesses. Also, restaurant dining has been extended until 10 p.m. (1400 GMT) from 6 p.m. and group gatherings have been expanded to four people, from two previously. Many schools have also resumed in-person learning after months of online classes.

U.S. FDA warns of hidden drug ingredients in certain supplements products

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday asked people to not buy or use certain dietary supplement products sold with variations of the names 'Artri' or 'Ortiga' as they may contain some potentially harmful ingredients not mentioned on their labels. The agency said its laboratory analyses revealed some of the products contain dexamethasone, a corticosteroid, anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac sodium and methocarbamol, which is a muscle relaxant.

Moderna to file for EUA of COVID-19 shot for very young kids by April end

Moderna plans to submit an application to the U.S. health regulator for emergency use authorization (EUA) of its COVID-19 vaccine among kids between the ages of six months to five years by end of the month, a company spokesperson said on Wednesday. The Omicron variant was predominant during Moderna's pediatric trial, and the drugmaker said two doses were around 38% effective in preventing infections in 2 to 5-year-olds and 44% effective for children aged 6 months to under 2 years.

Anders who? WHO has no job for the Swedish health agency chief

Anders Tegnell, the architect of Sweden's light-touch COVID response, will not be joining the World Health Organization despite stepping down as Sweden's chief epidemiologist earlier this year to do so. The Swedish Public Health Agency announced in March that Tegnell would leave his job and join WHO as a senior expert working with vaccine distribution.

Ohio jury finds doctor not guilty of murder in fentanyl case -Columbus Dispatch

An Ohio jury on Wednesday found Dr. William Husel, who had been accused of giving patients lethal doses of fentanyl, not guilty of 14 counts of murder, the Columbus Dispatch newspaper reported. Husel, a former doctor with the Columbus-area Mount Carmel Health System, was accused in Franklin County of purposely causing the death of 14 patients between 2015 and 2018. He faced 15 years to life in prison for each count.

Taiwan approves second COVID booster shot for elderly

Taiwan's government has approved a second COVID-19 booster vaccine dose for those 65 and older, and third booster for the immunocompromised, as it looks to step up its fight against a spike in domestic infections. While Taiwan is dealing with a rise in local cases, the numbers overall remain small - 13,164 since Jan. 1 - and just four people have died, with more than 99% of that infected reporting either minor or no symptoms.

Israel scraps indoor COVID-19 mask order for second time

Israel told its citizens on Wednesday they could stop wearing COVID-19 masks indoors, its second such revision after the measure was briefly dropped and then restored last year in response to a rise in cases. The scrapping of mandatory masks in closed public venues will go into force on Saturday, subject to approval by a parliament oversight committee, a government statement said.