Category: NPR

Facing lost wages if they can’t work, essential workers struggle to get timely COVID tests amid a nationwide testing crunch. Community clinics are struggling to meet the need.

Medical schools are reporting a record increase in Black students. Across the U.S., the number of first-year African Americans is way up – 21 percent — an unprecedented spike since 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to a 62% drop in blood drives at schools and colleges, according to the American Red Cross.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.