Category: Public Health

HHS awards $1.4B to develop next-gen COVID-19 tools

As part of Project NextGen, HHS has awarded more than $1.4 billion in grants to support the development of the next generation of COVID-19 vaccines and technologies. 

The Painful Pandemic Lessons Mandy Cohen Carries to the CDC

Mandy Cohen, the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, earned praise for her leadership and communication as the face of North Carolina’s response to covid-19. People in the state’s most vulnerable communities tell a more complicated story.

Most Americans fall in 'malleable middle' on misinformation

Most U.S. adults are uncertain about health misinformation claims, falling in a potentially “malleable middle,” according to an Aug. 22 survey from KFF.

4 masking policies hospitals should consider for pandemic's next phase: Experts

An uptick in COVID-19 admissions in the U.S. is reinvigorating focus on hospitals’ masking policies. Now, 10 experts are calling for healthcare facilities to integrate masking as part of routine policies. 

Few Firm Beliefs and Low Trust: Americans Not Sure What’s True in Age of Health Misinformation

A new poll from KFF shows many Americans aren’t willing to embrace misinformation — but aren’t willing to reject it either. And they don’t know whom to trust.

Doctors Advocate Fresh Efforts to Combat Chagas Disease, a Silent Killer

Chagas disease, caused by a parasite, affects people primarily in rural Latin America. But an estimated 300,000 residents of the U.S. have the disease, which can cause serious heart problems. Patient advocates call for much more aggressive efforts to fight it.

Admissions, new strain & boosters: 4 COVID-19 updates

COVID-19 indicators continue to tick up in the U.S., and the CDC has started tracking a new strain. 

The CDC Works to Overhaul Lab Operations After Covid Test Flop

In early 2020, U.S. public health labs received covid-19 tests from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that were flawed, as a result of poor design and contamination. Now the CDC is overhauling its lab operations, but efforts to be better prepared for future threats won’t be easy, observers say.

CDC starts monitoring new COVID-19 variant with 30+ mutations

Health officials have started monitoring BA.2.86 — a highly mutated version of the COVID-19 virus. Not much is known yet about the newly detected lineage, though its large number of mutations has prompted the World Health Organization and CDC to begin …

A New Medicare Proposal Would Cover Training for Family Caregivers

The federal government is proposing having Medicare pay professionals to train family caregivers how to perform tasks like bathing and dressing their loved ones, and properly use medical equipment.