What We’re Reading: Gene Linked to Long COVID; Push to Investigate Nonprofit Hospitals; Potential New Protections for Pregnant Workers

Long COVID Linked to a Gene

Preliminary research released in medRxiv in July suggests that genetics play a role in those affected by long COVID, according to NPR. Dozens of scientists worldwide collaborated on the new research that explained how those who develop long COVID carry a version of the gene FOXP₄. The study examined the DNA of 6450 people with long COVID and compared it with those without it, finding that the only connection between those with long COVID was the presence of the FOXP₄ gene. The gene helps regulate processes throughout the body and research shows it is active in the lungs. Immunologist and COVID researcher Stéphanie Longet, PhD , noted that those with the gene have a higher probability of developing long COVID, but it is not guaranteed.

Senators Push IRS to Investigate Nonprofit Hospitals

A bipartisan group of senators wants federal tax regulators to hold nonprofit hospitals accountable through an investigation into whether they comply with community benefit requirements, according to STAT. On Monday, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D, Massachusetts), Raphael Warnock (D, Georgia), Bill Cassidy, MD (R, Louisiana), and Chuck Grassley (R, Iowa) sent letters to the Internal Revenue Service commissioner and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration to advocate for an investigation into broad tax wording and “oversight of roughly $28 billion in exemptions.” Nonpartisan hospitals are mostly tax exempt and often receive funding in exchange for providing free or discounted care to low-income patients and aiding patients through public health programs. The tax code’s broad definition of “community care and charity” is at the center of the debate as advocates claim that it has resulted in hospitals logging things under this other than free clinics and health screenings.

Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Would Offer Pregnant Workers New Protections

Under new employee protections proposed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on Monday, pregnant workers or workers with newborns would be entitled to new job accommodations, according to The Washington Post. These include schedule changes, teleworking privileges, temporary job restructuring, and longer, more frequent breaks. This proposal would establish baseline terms for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, new civil rights legislation signed into law in December, and prevent employers from denying opportunities to workers or job applicants because of pregnancy- or childbirth-related medical conditions. These policies would apply to employers with 15 or more workers and take effect after a public review period, potential revisions, and approval by the EEOC’s 4 commissioners and the Office of Management and Budget.