Category: COVID-19

With Coronavirus Rare In Rural Florida, Experts Dispute Way Forward

At least 30 states have issued statewide stay-at-home orders. Florida, one of the eight states with the highest number of COVID-19 cases recorded so far, is the only one in that group not to have such an order.

Online Coronavirus Tests Are Just The Latest Iffy Products Marketed To Anxious Consumers

Americans are worried about the novel coronavirus, so they are turning to the internet for solutions to stem their fears. Buyer, beware. It could be dangerous.

Should You Bring Mom Home From Assisted Living During The Pandemic?

Families are weighing the challenges of providing home care with the isolation or potential danger of leaving folks in senior housing or long-term care.

More Than 5,000 Surgery Centers Can Now Serve As Makeshift Hospitals During COVID-19 Crisis

Under pressure, the federal government announced it will let surgery centers, hotels and even college dorms serve as hospitals to treat an overflow of patients.

Already Taxed Health Care Workers Not ‘Immune’ From Layoffs And Less Pay

Revenue is way down for primary care, specialty physicians and some hospitals as patients avoid non-urgent visits. Practices small and large are doling out layoffs and furloughs to staff.

Coronavirus Patients Caught In Conflict Between Hospital And Nursing Homes

Hospitals need to clear out patients who no longer need acute care. But nursing homes are alarmed at the prospect of taking patients who may have the coronavirus.

What Takes So Long? A Behind-The-Scenes Look At The Steps Involved In COVID-19 Testing

A common complaint about the testing process is the long turnaround time for results.

Addiction Is ‘A Disease Of Isolation’ — So Pandemic Puts Recovery At Risk

People in recovery from drug or alcohol addiction have to weather a new storm of depression, anxiety and isolation during the pandemic, just as the social supports of Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs move online. 

‘Red Dawn Breaking Bad’: Officials Warned About Safety Gear Shortfall Early On, Emails Show

As President Donald Trump called the nation “in good shape” to handle COVID-19, a cache of emails released by officials in Washington state show that top public health authorities feared gear shortages and doctor safety in the early epicenter of sickness and deaths.

The Nation’s 5,000 Outpatient Surgery Centers Could Help With The COVID-19 Overflow

A coalition of anesthesiologists wants to repurpose the country’s more than 5,000 surgery centers to serve as emergency overflow amid the coronavirus pandemic. The centers have trained medical staff largely sitting idle, anesthesia machines that could be turned into ventilators, and empty medical space. But obstacles such as federal payment rules, logistics and some skepticism are getting in the way.