They Call It ‘Tranq’ — And It’s Making Street Drugs Even More Dangerous
Xylazine, an animal tranquilizer, has made it into the illegal drug supply of opioids and cocaine. It is changing the way outreach workers treat overdoses and may be responsible for grisly injuries and infections among people who unknowingly inject it.
Laboratorios de análisis de aguas residuales para covid se suman a la caza de la viruela del simio
Las mismas técnicas de vigilancia de aguas residuales para detectar brotes de covid-19 se están adaptando para monitorear la alarmante propagación de la viruela del simio.
Covid Sewage Surveillance Labs Join the Hunt for Monkeypox
Wastewater testing has proved a reliable early alarm bell for covid outbreaks. U.S. researchers are now adapting the approach to track the explosive spread of monkeypox.
Tribe Embraces Recreational Marijuana Sales on Reservation Where Alcohol Is Banned
The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota allows people to buy and use recreational marijuana but not alcohol. Some tribal citizens say cannabis is safer than alcohol, meth, and opioids — which have wreaked havoc on the state’s Indigenous communities.
Journalists Put Polio, Price Transparency, and a Personal Covid Battle in Perspective
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
El cáncer de piel siempre es un riesgo, pero puede pasar inadvertido en pieles oscuras
Históricamente, los afroamericanos y las personas de piel oscura han quedado al margen de los esfuerzos para combatir el cáncer de piel.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Kansas Makes a Statement
In the first official test vote since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, voters in Kansas’ primary said in no uncertain terms they want to keep a right to abortion in their state constitution. Meanwhile, the Senate is still working to reach a vote before summer recess on its health care-climate-tax measure, but progress is slow. Tami Luhby of CNN, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Rachel Cohrs of Stat join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KHN’s Bram Sable-Smith, who wrote the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” installment about a very expensive ambulance trip.
Las personas que pueden estar infectadas se enfrentan a callejones sin salida, retrasos, diagnósticos incorrectos y tratamientos inadecuados mientras navegan por un sistema de atención de salud poco preparado y mal informado.
A California Man’s ‘Painful and Terrifying’ Road to a Monkeypox Diagnosis
A Bay Area man described himself as “delirious” from the pain of a quickly spreading rash, but it took six telehealth appointments, one urgent care visit, and two emergency room trips before he was finally diagnosed and treated for monkeypox.
Music Festivals Embrace Overdose Reversal Drugs, but Fentanyl Testing Kits Remain Taboo
Music festival promoters are allowing distribution of overdose reversal medication as fentanyl deaths continue to surge. But nonprofits and volunteers are often left to do the work, and more controversial forms of harm reduction aren’t openly allowed.
The Time Has Come for DIY Mandates on Covid
Yes, lots of us suffer from pandemic fatigue and have been getting sloppy about precautions in recent months. But with covid an ongoing menace — and governments reluctant to return to sweeping mandates — it’s time for all of us to step up our game.
Journalists Detail the Scope of the Abortion Ruling, Monkeypox, and Public Health Powers
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Qué significa el caso de Nueva York para el fin de la polio
Para 2015, la polio se había erradicado casi por completo en todas partes excepto en Pakistán y Afganistán. Pero para 2020 se habían reportado casos en 34 países.
What the Polio Case in New York Tells Us About the End of Polio
The Rockland County case isn’t expected to cause a major outbreak, but it shows how even this rare disease can pop up in undervaccinated communities.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Manchin Makes a Deal
In a rare surprise for official Washington, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced a deal to expand the planned health bill in the Senate to include provisions raising taxes and addressing climate change. The measure would include a third year of expanded subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, but not health care coverage for people left out of Medicaid in states that failed to expand the program. Meanwhile, the ACA goes back to court, and the Biden administration restores anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people that were rolled back by the Trump administration. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Dr. Céline Gounder of KHN about the latest on the monkeypox outbreak.
Lo que debes saber sobre Paxlovid para tratar covid, en especial, ¿debes tomarlo?
Desde que Paxlovid comenzó a estar disponible hace siete meses, ha eclipsado otras terapias disponibles para prevenir los síntomas graves de covid en pacientes de alto riesgo. Algunos médicos se apresuran a recetarlo, pero como ocurre con tanto sobre la pandemia de covid, hay controversia.
Everything You Need to Know About Paxlovid — Especially, Should You Take It?
Paxlovid has eclipsed other available therapies for preventing life-threatening covid symptoms in high-risk patients. But even as doctors praise its effectiveness, many say they have unanswered questions about prescribing the drug and want more and better data about it.
To Stem the Spread of Monkeypox, Health Departments Tap Into Networks of Those Most at Risk
Although the disease is currently spreading almost exclusively among men who have sex with men, some cases are turning up in other populations — and that number is likely to grow if public health officials don’t effectively nip the outbreak in the bud.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Drug Price Bill Is a Go in the Senate
Two things happened in Washington this week that were inevitable: President Joe Biden tested positive for covid-19, and the Senate agreed to move forward on a budget bill that includes only a sliver of what Biden hoped it would. Still, the bill to allow Medicare to negotiate some drug prices, cap out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors, and extend temporary subsidies for Affordable Care Act insurance premiums would represent a major step if Democrats can get it across the finish line. Meanwhile, abortion battles continue to escalate around the country, with Texas leading the way in restrictions. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, and Rachel Cohrs of Stat join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Dr. Jack Resneck Jr., the new president of the American Medical Association.
Critics Worry Government Surveillance of HIV May Hurt More Than It Helps
Some people living with HIV and some state health officials are raising concerns about part of the federal effort to end the HIV epidemic: a new technology that analyzes blood samples to find emerging outbreaks. The critics say it’s too invasive and stigmatizing and might not be more effective than older public health approaches.
