The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to a 62% drop in blood drives at schools and colleges, according to the American Red Cross.
Category: NPR
ERs are overwhelmed as omicron continues to flood them with patients
Omicron may cause milder disease but the sheer number of patients make this wave far worse for the health care system. With packed emergency rooms, patients can wait days to get moved to a bed.
Medicare proposes covering expensive Alzheimer’s drug for those in clinical trials
Aduhelm is the first treatment approved in the country to slow cognitive decline in those living with Alzheimer’s. Doctors have refused to prescribe it, given the lack of data and evidence behind it.
U.S. COVID hospitalizations hit new record high, raising risks for patients
There are more patients and, in some places, not enough health care workers to go around. Research shows the crowding will impact care and increase mortality for all patients.
How to get insurance to pay for at-home COVID tests, according to the White House
The Biden administration says Americans should be able to order COVID tests online later this month. Those who are eligible can get eight free over-the-counter at-home tests a month.
Britney Spears left her guardianship, but others who want independence remain stuck
If a judge rules a person can’t make their own decisions, the next step can be a legal guardianship or conservatorship. Some states allow less restrictive options, but advocates say it’s not enough.
Things seem grim now. But America’s COVID situation could get better in 6-8 weeks
In the face of rising COVID-19 cases, Dr. Bob Wachter of the University of California, San Francisco offers reasons to be hopeful about the pandemic’s outlook in the months ahead.
The CDC now recommends Pfizer boosters after 5 months, not 6
The move to shorten the Pfizer booster interval comes as the U.S. shatters daily case records. The recommended interval for those who received Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines has not changed.
Law aiming to protect consumers against surprise medical bills takes effect
Adrian Florido speaks with Kaiser Health News reporter Julie Appleby about the No Surprises Act, which went into effect on Jan.1.
Chief medical officer wants a more resilient health care system
NPR’s Adrian Florido speaks with Dr. David Marcozzi, Chief Medical Officer at the University of Maryland Medical Center, about hospital capacity amid the current COVID-19 surge.
