Category: Public Health

Dr. Ashish Jha: Time to focus on COVID hospitalizations and deaths, not cases

The daily count of new COVID-19 cases has been the chief metric by which health officials and the general public gauge virus transmission. The lower severity of the omicron variant invites a change, in which hospitalizations and deaths should be the me…

Laws Shield Hospitals From Families Who Believe Loved Ones Contracted Covid as Patients

Families who believe their loved ones contracted covid-19 while hospitalized are finding they have little recourse following a wave of liability shield legislation pushed by business interests.

10 states COVID-19 could hit hardest by NYE: Mayo Clinic forecasts

New York is projected to have the highest number of daily COVID-19 cases of any state on New Year’s Eve, according to forecasts from Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic.

US COVID-19 cases pass summer peak

The nation’s seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases has surpassed figures seen during this summer’s delta surge.

Nursing Homes Bleed Staff as Amazon Lures Low-Wage Workers With Prime Packages

Add nursing homes to the list of industries jolted by Amazon’s handsome hourly wages. Enticed by an average starting pay rate of $18 an hour and the potential for benefits and signing bonuses, low-wage workers are fleeing entry-level elder care for jobs packing boxes.

As Patients Fell Ill With Covid Inside Hospitals, Government Oversight Fell Short

A KHN investigation finds that hospitals with high rates of covid patients who didn’t have the diagnosis when they were admitted have rarely been held accountable due to multiple gaps in government oversight.

Watch: One City’s Effort to Raise Vaccination Rates Among Black Residents

In Hartford, Connecticut, public health leaders engage barbers and faith leaders to combat vaccine skepticism in the Black community.

CDC: US life expectancy fell nearly 2 years in 2020

Life expectancy in the U.S. dropped nearly two years in 2020, from 78.8 years in 2019 to 77 years in 2020, according to the CDC’s finalized mortality report published Dec. 22. The decrease was largely fueled by COVID-19 deaths. 

White House’s omicron plan alone can’t prevent winter surge, health experts say

Public health officials say actions the White House announced this week to address the omicron variant’s spread will not prevent COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations from increasing over the next few weeks, The New York Times reported Dec. 21.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Manchin Blows Up Biden’s ‘Build Back Better’

Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen on Acast. You can also listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) dashed the hopes of President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats for passage of the giant “Build Back Better” bill before the end of […]