Public Health Archives - Page 41 of 186

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Biden Declares the Pandemic ‘Over’

President Joe Biden, in an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes,” declared the covid-19 pandemic “over,” stoking confusion for members of his administration trying to persuade Congress to provide more funding to fight the virus and the public to get the latest boosters. Meanwhile, concerns about a return of medical inflation is helping boost insurance premiums even as private companies race to get their piece of the health pie. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, and Lauren Weber of KHN join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also, for extra credit, the panelists suggest their favorite health policy stories they think you should read, too.

Sept. 22, 2022

A chart shows the rise, fall and rise again of COVID-19 being California's leading cause of death.

Picture of Health

Covid Still Kills, but the Demographics of Its Victims Are Shifting

Californians were far less likely to die from covid in the first seven months of 2022 than during the first two years of the pandemic. Still, the virus remained among the state’s leading causes of death in July, outpacing diabetes, accidental death, and a host of debilitating diseases. We break down who’s at risk.

By Phillip Reese

Sept. 21, 2022

A photo shows a city skyline obscured by thick smog.

Navigating Aging

Clearing Pollution Helps Clear the Fog of Aging — And May Cut the Risk of Dementia

Two studies published this year provide evidence that older adults’ cognitive health may benefit if air quality is improved.

By Judith Graham

Sept. 20, 2022

KHN On Air

Journalists Look Into Wildfire Trauma and the South’s Monkeypox Response

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.

Sept. 17, 2022

A photo shows a child receiving an oral polio vaccine.

With Polio’s Return, Here’s What Back-to-Schoolers Need to Know

Because polio has been vanishingly rare in the United States for nearly a half-century, doctors may not consider it when diagnosing patients with typical symptoms. Here are the signs and the science behind an infectious disease that is largely a mystery to modern society.

By Céline Gounder

Sept. 16, 2022

Podcast

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Graham’s Bill Recenters Abortion Debate

Republicans would like to shift the political focus away from abortion to economic issues for the midterm elections, but a bill from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) that would ban most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy has put the issue squarely back on their agenda. The proposal was not welcomed by many of his colleagues, especially Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Also this week, the muddle about where the fight against covid stands and near-record-low numbers of uninsured in the U.S. Rachel Cohrs of Stat, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times join KHN’s partnerships editor, Mary Agnes Carey, to discuss these issues and more.

Sept. 15, 2022

A photo shows men in line outside of a building. They are waiting to get a free monkeypox vaccine.

Southern States’ Lackluster Monkeypox Efforts Leave LGBTQ+ Groups Going It Alone

The gay community is disproportionally affected by the monkeypox outbreak, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says public health efforts should prioritize gay and bisexual men. But in the South, some LGBTQ+ advocates fear that this is not happening consistently. They say they are having to take matters into their own hands in the absence of a coordinated response from state governments.

By Daniel Chang and Colleen DeGuzman

Sept. 14, 2022

A photo shows pills on a bathroom scale surrounded by a human-shaped cookie cutter, suggesting weight loss.

California and New York Aim to Curb Diet Pill Sales to Minors

California and New York would be the first states to require anyone under 18 to obtain prescriptions to purchase over-the-counter weight loss products, which some research has linked to eating disorders.

By Laurie Udesky

Sept. 14, 2022

A photo shows a sample of heel-stick blood being tested.

Newborns Get Routine Heel Blood Tests, but Should States Keep Those Samples?

Shortly after birth, babies are pricked in the heel so their blood can be tested for life-threatening conditions. States generally save leftover blood from those samples, and parents and privacy experts are concerned that information could be used without consent years later.

By Michelle Andrews

Sept. 14, 2022

A macro photo of covid-19 vaccine bottles. The bottles take up the entire image.

PERSPECTIVE

Did the US Jump the Gun With the New Omicron-Targeted Vaccines?

With fears of a winter surge looming, government agencies have authorized and encouraged vaccination with a newly formulated booster. But the science to support that decision remains inconclusive.

By Céline Gounder and Elisabeth Rosenthal

Sept. 12, 2022

KHN On Air

Journalists Delve Into Inflation Policy, Hospital Closures, and Needle Exchanges

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.

Sept. 10, 2022

A photo shows the Bravo family together outside their home.

Postcard From Sonoma

Children in Northern California Learn to Cope With Wildfire Trauma

Doctors and health officials say more children in the state are growing up with wildfire, which can cause stress, depression, anxiety, and other lasting trauma. Experts say there are ways to help kids stay calm.

By Heidi de Marco

Sept. 9, 2022

Podcast

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Judge Takes Aim at the Affordable Care Act’s Preventive Care Benefits

A federal judge in Texas — the same one who tried to strike down the Affordable Care Act as unconstitutional in 2018 — has ruled against some of the ACA’s preventive benefits, including the requirement that employers cover medication to prevent HIV. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs tries to make abortions slightly more available to veterans and their dependents. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KHN’s Lauren Sausser, who reported and wrote the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” installment.

Sept. 8, 2022

A man wearing a suit stands in a legislative chamber a looks at something out of frame.

‘He Stood His Ground’: California State Senator Will Leave Office as Champion of Tough Vaccine Laws

California state Sen. Richard Pan, who spearheaded some of the country’s most ambitious vaccine mandate legislation, is leaving office this year because of term limits. A pediatrician, he plans to practice medicine full time but has not ruled out a future run for office.

By Angela Hart

Sept. 6, 2022

A photo shows Mary Wakefield speaking at a podium with a blue curtain backdrop behind her.

Meet Mary Wakefield, the Nurse Administrator Tasked With Revamping the CDC

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has tapped Mary Wakefield to help “reset” the agency after its public failures handling the covid pandemic. Those who know Wakefield say her high standards and problem-solving skills make her a good fit for the job.

By Sam Whitehead

Sept. 6, 2022

KHN On Air

Journalists Discuss the Nation’s Suicide Prevention Hotline, Abortion, and ‘Forever Chemicals’

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.

Aug. 27, 2022

A digital illustration of a thermometer showing about 101 degrees with an image of Denver with a red tone behind it.

With More Sizzling Summers, Colorado Changes How Heat Advisories Are Issued

The National Weather Service is now gauging heat risk in a way that better suits Colorado as summers in the Centennial State get hotter and longer.

By Markian Hawryluk

Aug. 26, 2022

Tee Hundley, an adult female, sits in a chair in her nail salon. She has short, curly hair, wears large hoop earrings, a white blouse with a floral pattern, and jeans. The wall beside her holds nail products, and behind her is a sign that says, "Suite Tee".

COVID-19

Unraveling the Interplay of Omicron, Reinfections, and Long Covid

The omicron variant has proved adept at finding hosts, often by reinfecting people who recovered from earlier bouts of covid. But whether omicron triggers long covid as often and severe as previous variants is a matter of heated study.

By Liz Szabo

Aug. 26, 2022

Podcast

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: The Future of Public Health, 2022 Edition

A new report from the Commonwealth Fund Commission on a National Public Health System calls for a major overhaul of the way the U.S. organizes, funds, and communicates about public health, particularly in the harsh spotlight of the covid-19 pandemic. In this special episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” host Julie Rovner and KHN’s correspondent Lauren Weber interview the commission’s chair, Dr. Margaret Hamburg, former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, about how to fix what ails public health.

Aug. 25, 2022

COVID-19

Wastewater Surveillance Has Become a Critical Covid Tracking Tool, but Funding Is Inconsistent

Dashboards that rely on positive covid test results reported to local health departments no longer paint a reliable picture of how covid is spreading in an area. Some experts say wastewater surveillance is the most accurate way to measure viral activity. Meanwhile, some wastewater labs face funding shortfalls.

By Lauren Sausser

Aug. 25, 2022

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