Soon, no state in the mainland U.S. will have statewide mask mandates, with Hawaii the only state that hasn’t announced plans to relax mask requirements, The New York Times reported Feb. 18.
Category: Public Health
As Covid Slogs On, Seniors Find Fortitude Waning and Malaise Growing
The spread of the omicron variant has dashed the hopes of many older adults that the country was exiting the worst of the pandemic, leaving them anxious while their patience wears thin.
‘I Just Want to Stay in One Spot’: From Homeless to Housed in Rugged Del Norte
California’s homeless crisis is often understood through cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, where the sheer number of people living unsheltered can quickly capsize the programs designed to help them. But in remote counties like Del Norte, California’s Project Homekey is having a tangible impact.
WHO issues omicron-specific quarantine, contact tracing guidance
Omicron’s high transmissibility has overstretched contact tracing capabilities globally, prompting the World Health Organization to issue interim guidance Feb. 17.
Physicians point to a pandemic privilege many choose to ignore
Immunocompromised Americans have had little voice in the country’s pandemic response, and many physicians are only growing more vocal on their behalf.
Global COVID-19 cases fall alongside testing rates; deaths remain high, WHO says
Global COVID-19 cases are falling, though a drop in testing may be contributing to this trend, and the omicron subvariant continues to spread, Maria Van Kerkhove, PhD, the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 technical lead, said during a Feb. 16 media…
State Constitutions Vex Conservatives’ Strategies for a Post-Roe World
Conservative lawmakers may find their anti-abortion agendas complicated by state constitutions that explicitly grant citizens the right to privacy, regardless of what the U.S. Supreme Court does.
As Politics Infects Public Health, Private Companies Profit
Localities in California and Colorado are contracting with private companies to create their own health departments, spurred by a disregard for regional covid safety mandates.
Teen Traveled to Philly to Get Vaccinated Against His Parents’ Wishes
Nicolas Montero is 16, and that’s old enough to get a vaccine on his own in Philadelphia. Vaccine regulations vary around the country and, in more than a dozen states, teens can consent to their own medical care.
CDC to update mask guidance
The CDC is considering a shift to its indoor mask guidance that would rely more on COVID-19 hospitalizations as an indicator of whether masks are needed.
