Category: Public Health

XEC poised to become dominant COVID variant: Preprint study

COVID-19 variant is expected to surpass KP.3.1.1 as the most dominant circulating variant, according to a preprint study from researchers at universities in Japan and the United Kingdom.

Flesh-eating bacteria cases hit record in Florida in wake of Helene

Florida is experiencing a surge in flesh-eating bacteria cases weeks after Hurricanes Helene and Milton struck, USA Today reported Oct. 22.

Marylanders To Vote on Expansive ‘Right to Reproductive Freedom’

The Right to Reproductive Freedom amendment would enshrine in the state constitution a right “to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue, or end one’s own pregnancy.”

3 respiratory illnesses on the rise: 5 things to know

Mycoplasma pneumoniae, respiratory syncytial virus and XEC cases are on the rise, according to the CDC.

Infections raise dementia risk, new study suggests: 3 notes

Common infections such as the flu and respiratory tract infections may increase the risk of dementia years later, according to a new study published in Nature Aging. 

Medicare Drug Plans Are Getting Better Next Year. Some Will Also Cost More.

Every year, Medicare officials encourage beneficiaries to shop around for their drug coverage. Few take the time. This year, it might be more important than ever.

Watch: ‘Silence in Sikeston & The Effects of Racial Violence’

KFF Health News Midwest correspondent Cara Anthony talks about how racism affects health on Nine PBS’ “Listen, St. Louis with Carol Daniel,” stemming from her reporting for the “Silence in Sikeston” multimedia project, on the impact of a 1942 lynching and a 2020 police killing on a rural Missouri community.

California Continues Progressive Policies, With Restraint, in Divisive Election Year

This legislative cycle, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed bills affirming reproductive rights and mandating insurance coverage of in vitro fertilization, but the Democrat was reluctant to impose new regulations and frequently cited costs for vetoing bills.

Mountain Town Confronts an Unexpected Public Health Catastrophe

Flooding wrought by Hurricane Helene devastated communities around Asheville, North Carolina. A host of government programs are helping restore water, food, and medicine.

KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: LIVE From KFF: Health Care and the 2024 Election

The Affordable Care Act has not been a major issue in the 2024 campaign, but abortion and reproductive rights have been front and center. Those are just two of the dozens of health issues that could be profoundly affected by who is elected president and which party controls Congress in 2025. In this special live episode, Tamara Keith of NPR, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Cynthia Cox and Ashley Kirzinger of KFF join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss how health policy has affected the campaign and how the election results might affect health policy. Plus, the panel answers questions from the live audience.