Latest Morning Briefing Stories
A lo largo de los Apalaches y del delta del Mississippi, donde las tasas de muertes por ataques cerebrales está por encima del promedio nacional, dirigir a los pacientes de áreas rurales al nivel adecuado de atención puede ser un rompecabezas intrincado. El hospital más cercano puede no ofrecer un espectro completo de tratamientos, y los centros de atención de avanzada pueden estar a horas de distancia.
Covid ‘Doesn’t Discriminate by Age’: Serious Cases on the Rise in Younger Adults
With older adults vaccinated, doctors say a growing share of their covid patients are in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s, as more contagious variants circulate among people who remain unvaccinated.
CVS y Walgreens desperdician cerca de 130,000 dosis de vacunas contra covid
De los datos de los CDC, no resulta claro por qué las dos cadenas desperdiciaron mucha más vacuna que las agencias estatales y federales.
As Schools Spend Millions on Air Purifiers, Experts Warn of Overblown Claims and Harm to Children
A KHN investigation found that more than 2,000 schools have spent millions of dollars for systems, lured by air purifier companies’ claims that experts say mislead or obscure the potential for harm from toxic ozone.
As Vaccine Demand Slows, Political Differences Go on Display in California Counties
California officials are optimistic they can vaccinate millions more before hitting a hard wall of vaccine resistance.
CVS and Walgreens Have Wasted More Vaccine Doses Than Most States Combined
More than 200,000 doses of covid vaccine have gone to waste since December, KHN has learned. Two national pharmacy chains account for most of it.
Addiction Treatment Providers in Pa. Face Little State Scrutiny Despite Harm to Clients
Pennsylvania’s Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs has allowed providers to continue operating despite repeated violations and harm to clients.
The Vulnerable Homebound Are Left Behind on Vaccination
Even as the nation has moved on to vaccinating everyone 16 and older, the vast majority of people homebound due to frailty or age — and among the most vulnerable to covid’s devastation — have not yet been vaccinated. California offers a sharp lens on the challenges.
In Poisoned Montana Town, Warren Buffett-Owned Railroad Accuses Clinic of Medicare Fraud
BNSF Railway accuses the Center for Asbestos Related Disease of Medicare fraud by misdiagnosing and overtreating asbestos-caused illnesses, which the health clinic calls a cynical attempt by the company to limit its own liability.
Covid Forces Cohousing Communities to Examine Shared Values and Relationships
How do dozens of people living communally decide what to do during a public health crisis when members have varying tolerance for risk and different opinions about safe practices?
Some County Jail Inmates See Vaccination as Ticket to a Better Life — In the State Pen
In the Los Angeles County Jail system, many inmates hope being vaccinated will get them transferred more quickly to state prison. Some just want to protect themselves against covid, while others are distrustful and refuse vaccination.
What a Difference a Year Makes in Colorado’s Case for a Public Option Plan
Before the pandemic, Colorado was building momentum to pass what’s known as a “public option” health plan that would lower insurance premiums and force hospitals to accept lower payments. But now with hospitals and health care providers enjoying support as front-line heroes in the pandemic, state legislators have stripped the option from their bill.
Ohio’s Amish Suffered a Lot From Covid, but Vaccines Are Still a Hard Sell
Despite high mortality and infection rates, the counties of northeastern Ohio, where many Amish people live, have the lowest vaccination rates in the state.
Evaluating President Joe Biden’s First 100 Days in Office
Presidential historians say that Joe Biden’s first 100 days in office — a somewhat arbitrary but frequently cited milestone — have included an above-average number of major accomplishments.
‘Red Flag’ Gun Laws Get Another Look After Indiana, Colorado Shootings
It’s unclear whether “red flag” laws — which allow the seizure of guns from a person deemed dangerous — help prevent mass shootings or should have been applied to the suspects in recent shootings in Boulder, Colorado, and Indianapolis.
‘We’re Coming for You’: For Public Health Officials, a Year of Threats and Menace
Local health officials have become the face of government authority as they work to stem the pandemic. That has made them targets for chilling threats from some of the same militia groups that stormed the U.S. Capitol. Santa Cruz leaders are among those whose daily routines now incorporate security patrols, surveillance cameras and, in some cases, firearms.
From Hospital Profits to Gender Gaps, Journalists Are on the Case
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.
Virtual Care Spreads in Missouri Health System, Home to ‘Hospital Without Beds’
In 2015, St. Louis-based Mercy health system opened what officials called the world’s first “hospital without beds.” Since the pandemic, Mercy has incorporated telehealth throughout its system, part of a national acceleration in virtual care that proponents laud but critics say is happening too fast.
Only One Vaccine Is OK’d for Older Teens. It’s Also the Hardest to Manage in Rural America.
Of the three covid vaccines the U.S. government has authorized, only one is available to 16- and 17-year-olds: the Pfizer shot. It’s also the most complicated to manage in rural settings, with their small, dispersed populations. That forces some teens and their families to travel long distances for a dose — or go without.
Michigan’s Outbreak Worries Scientists. Will Conservative Outposts Keep Pandemic Rolling?
The covid outbreak in Michigan stands out on the U.S. contagion map, but odds are it will be repeated elsewhere. How vaccine hesitancy, relaxed restrictions and a coronavirus variant combined to create the worst outbreak in the country.
