COVID test kits, treatments and vaccines won’t be free to many consumers much longer
Starting May 11 most people will have to pay for those at-home test kits for COVID-19, as the federal government’s declaration of a COVID-19 public health emergency officially ends. Alex Wong/Getty Images Time is running out for free-to-consumer COVID-19 vaccines, at-home test kits and even some treatments. The White House announced this month that the […]
Hispanic dialysis patients are more at risk for staph infections, the CDC says
A patient undergoes dialysis at a clinic in Sacramento, Calif. New CDC data highlights racial disparities in the risk of staph bloodstream infections among dialysis patients. Rich Pedroncelli/AP Data show that Black and Hispanic patients on dialysis in the U.S. have higher risks of developing staph bloodstream infections than their white counterparts, federal health officials […]
She was declared dead, but the funeral home found her breathing
A woman was pronounced dead at the Water’s Edge Rehab and Nursing Center in Port Jefferson, N.Y. — but hours later, workers at a funeral home discovered she was alive and breathing. Google Maps/Screenshot by NPR Workers at a nursing home on Long Island, N.Y., pronounced an 82-year-old woman dead on Saturday — but nearly […]
Hendra virus rarely spills from animals to us. Climate change makes it a bigger threat
Large congregations of bats have been fingered in the spill over of Hendra virus. Vivien Jones Updated Feb. 7 at 6:45 a.m. Not quite 20 years ago, Raina Plowright stood in a forest in Australia’s Northern Territory at dusk. She watched as hundreds of thousands of bats called little red flying foxes launched themselves into […]
Hundreds of ready-to-eat foods are recalled over possible listeria contamination
A sign for the Food and Drug Administration is seen outside of the headquarters in White Oak, Md., on July 20, 2020. The FDA announced a recall of hundreds of ready-to-eat food products. Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images More than 400 food products — including ready-to-eat sandwiches, salads, yogurts and wraps — were recalled due to possible […]
Family caregivers of people with long COVID bear an extra burden
Louise Salant (right), 72, and her aunt Eileen Salant (center), 86, both got very sick with COVID-19 in 2020. And as Eileen developed long COVID symptoms, so too did Louise, who struggled with fatigue and shortness of breath while also managing her aunt’s care. Nearly three years later, home health aides like Elfnesh Legesse (left) […]
Family caregivers of people with long COVID bear an extra burden
Louise Salant (right), 72, and her aunt Eileen Salant (center), 86, both got very sick with COVID-19 in 2020. And as Eileen developed long COVID symptoms, so too did Louise, who struggled with fatigue and shortness of breath while also managing her aunt’s care. Nearly three years later, home health aides like Elfnesh Legesse (left) […]
Here’s why you should make a habit of having more fun
Rachel Maryam Smith fell in love with the ethereal beauty of giant soap bubbles several years ago and began creating them at sunset events in Santa Cruz, Calif. When enjoying bubbles together, “there is a euphoric point I have observed my participants reach,” she says. Carolyn Klein Lagattuta When was the last time you flew […]
A look at excess deaths during COVID-19, including firearm assaults and malnutrition
The impacts of the pandemic extend far beyond those who have died directly due to COVID-19. Stress, mental health challenges and availability of healthcare resources have all been touted as contributing to higher mortality rates, in addition to the virus itself. In 2022 in Minnesota, for example, COVID-19 plus an increase in deaths from firearm […]
Inside UnitedHealthcare’s denial for to chronically ill
By David Armstrong, Patrick Rucker and Maya Miller ProPublica, Co-published with The Capitol Forum ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. Also: Do you have experiences with health insurance denials? Please get in touch. In May 2021, a nurse at UnitedHealthcare called a […]