Category: NPR

A Filipina Nurse On Working On The Front Lines Of The Pandemic

Nurses are among the Philippines’ most sought-after exports. One front-liner in New York City has won over colleagues with a morale-boosting performance and has mentored health care workers back home.

HHS Chief Alex Azar Defends Authorization Of Plasma To Treat COVID-19

NPR’s Ari Shapiro talks with Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar about the Food and Drug Administration allowing the use of convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19.

Another COVID-19 Medical Mystery: Patients Come Off Ventilator, But Linger In A Coma

Doctors are researching why some patients remain unconscious for days or weeks, even after sedating drugs are withdrawn. They also worry that these patients aren’t being given time to recover.

Rural Hospitals Are Sinking Under COVID-19 Financial Pressures

America’s rural hospitals were struggling even before the pandemic. Now, the loss of revenue from months of deferred treatments and surgeries have pulled more to the brink, as federal relief fades.

As Pandemic Persists, Health Care Heroes Beginning To Crack Under The Strain

Many doctors are suffering burnout five months into the pandemic. But the toll is compounded for Latino doctors serving heavily affected Latino communities. Some are now beginning to seek help.

Daycare, Grandparent, Pod Or Nanny? How To Manage The Risks Of Pandemic Child Care

At least two thirds of U.S. families are struggling to find safe and affordable child care as the pandemic rages on. NPR asked infectious disease experts to help sort the health risks of each option.

White House Stokes Hopes That Key Hospital Data Tracking Will Soon Return To CDC

Dr. Deborah Birx says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is creating a new way to track COVID-19 hospitalizations, just a month after such data collection was moved outside the agency.

Swab, Spit Or Stay Home? A Wide Variety Of Plans To Keep Coronavirus Off Campus

Colleges are rolling out a dizzying diversity of COVID-19 containment plans for students and staff. Some have no plans for routine testing, while others aim to test everyone on campus twice a week.

How To Tell A Real COVID-19 Contact Tracer’s Call From A Scammer’s

A loved one’s health could depend on the truth if you get a call from a real contact tracer about your exposure to the coronavirus. But beware impostors who ask you for payment or to click on a link.

How Feds Decide On Remdesivir Shipments To States Remains Mysterious

The federal government is in charge of distributing one of the few treatment options for COVID-19: the antiviral drug remdesivir. But how are decisions made about which states need it most?