The covid-19 virus is continually changing, and a recent subvariant, the JN.1, is rapidly climbing the charts.
Category: Public Health
Philadelphia warns of measles outbreak
Officials from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health are reporting a cluster of measles cases in unvaccinated individuals, according to a Jan. 5 news release.
Don't blame COVID uptick on seasonality, experts say
Nearly 35,000 COVID-19 patients were admitted to hospitals across the country in the week ending Dec. 30 — a 20% jump from the week prior. In the same week, more than 20,000 flu patients were hospitalized, according to the latest updates from the CDC.&…
States Begin Tapping Medicaid Dollars to Combat Gun Violence
The Biden administration is allowing states to use money from the insurance program for low-income and disabled residents to pay for gun violence prevention. California and six other states have approved such spending, with more expected to follow.
Florida surgeon general calls for halt of COVID vaccines, FDA fires back
Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, MD, PhD, has called for a halt to the administration of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines over concerns about what he calls nucleic acid contaminants, the office shared in a Jan. 3 news release. The move contradicts national…
Intermountain's blueprint for reshaping respiratory virus care in 2024
Despite rising respiratory infections nationwide, Kim Bennion, the enterprise director of research and respiratory care at Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare, is optimistic about what 2024 may hold for respiratory care, thanks in-part to adv…
KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: New Year, Same Abortion Debate
Some Supreme Court justices were wrong if they assumed overturning “Roe v. Wade” would settle the abortion issue before the high court. At least two cases are awaiting consideration, and more are in the legal pipeline. Meanwhile, Congress once again has only days until the next temporary spending bill runs out, with no budget deal in sight. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Victoria Knight of Axios join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Sandro Galea, dean of the Boston University School of Public Health, about how public health can regain public trust.
Iowa hospitals treat multiple victims from school shooting
A number of victims from a mass shooting at Perry High School in Perry, Iowa, the morning of Jan. 4 have been taken to Iowa Methodist Medical Center and MercyOne in Des Moines, a spokesperson for the hospitals confirmed to Becker’s.
Cost of treating COVID patients has risen 26% since 2020
When the pandemic began in 2020, providing care to hospitalized COVID-19 patients cost hospitals around $10,394 per patient. Since then, the price to provide the same inpatient care climbed by 26% to $13,072 in just two years, according to the research…
New York health officials report rise in whooping cough cases
New York state health officials are reporting a rise in cases of pertussis, also known as whooping cough.
