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After missteps in Washington, each state and county is left to juggle where to send vaccines first and how to get them to each nursing home, hospital local health department and even school.
Persuading vulnerable low-income and ethnic communities hit hard by the coronavirus to take a new vaccine may be challenging. But established local health leaders, like a group in Rochester, Minnesota, may be one answer.
The coronavirus pandemic has hit hard for Troy Muenzer of Chicago. He had a 鈥渟uspected case鈥 of COVID in the spring, was billed nearly $1,000 after he unsuccessfully sought to get tested for COVID-19 and has been furloughed after the airline he worked for saw a major decline in passengers.
At least 181 public health leaders in 38 states have resigned, retired or been fired amid the turmoil of the pandemic. The departures come as backlash against public health is rising with threats to officials鈥 personal safety and legislative and legal efforts to strip their governmental public health powers.
Recreational marijuana may face resistance from GOP-dominated state governments despite being voted into law in Montana, South Dakota and Arizona.
The governor won praise around the state for his early efforts to combat the coronavirus, but as the crisis wore on and President Donald Trump played down the threat, Ohio Republicans began to grow restless with DeWine鈥檚 stance, and concerns for his reelection campaign in 2022 are rising.
As America enters a dark winter with no national directives against COVID-19, Washington, Missouri, faced the same dilemma numerous other communities are grappling with: enact restrictions to curb the pandemic or leave people to their own will? Then a local 13-year-old died.
Across the nation, primary care practices that were already struggling are closing, victims of the pandemic鈥檚 financial fallout. And this is reducing access to health care, especially in rural and other regions already short on doctors.
Critically ill rural patients are often sent to city hospitals for high-level treatment, and as their numbers grow, some urban hospitals are buckling under the added strain. Meanwhile, mask-wearing and other pandemic prevention measures remain spotty in rural counties.
As coronavirus cases surge, state officials can鈥檛 afford to wait for a new president to take office before taking action. But some governors鈥 initiatives seem to be little more than policy tweaks or symbolic gestures.
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here鈥檚 a collection of their appearances.
Doctors and nurses say order puts lives in danger, amid a COVID surge and a statewide shortage of health care workers.
During the pandemic, shelters are having to change the way they do things to prevent the virus from spreading among the vulnerable homeless population. Now, as winter weather moves in, there鈥檚 less room at the shelters for those in need 鈥 threatening to leave many, literally, out in the cold.
How do we as Black people protect ourselves from racism? In our household, my decision to let my hair go natural forced my father and me to have a conversation about personal safety, the police and my desire to feel free. He viewed my permed hair and weave as a protective shield that increased my chances of making it home safely. But, in reality, my haircut 鈥 long or short 鈥 can鈥檛 protect me from racism.
The Trump administration hailed rapid tests as the way to halt COVID鈥檚 spread in nursing homes. A KHN analysis of federal data shows they鈥檙e not being used, as questions linger about accuracy and best practices.
Fear and uncertainty about the coronavirus have made online patient support groups fertile ground for the spread of misinformation. But some in these groups make fact-checking a part of the mission to support fellow COVID sufferers.
Crooked Media鈥檚 鈥淎merica Dissected鈥 explores the rural health crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Podcast guest KHN Editor-in-Chief Elisabeth Rosenthal said: 鈥淚 expect we鈥檒l see a lot more rural hospital failures.鈥
In Fort Scott, Kansas, the Community Health Center鈥檚 big green-and-white sign replaced Mercy Hospital鈥檚 name on the front of the town鈥檚 massive medical building. In the final chapter of Season One: 鈥淣o Mercy,鈥 we have an appointment to see what鈥檚 inside.
Having a child with a food allergy is terrifying for any parent, but for low-income families such allergies can be especially deadly. Food assistance programs and food pantries rarely take allergies into account. And access to specialists, support groups and lifesaving epinephrine can be hard to attain. This especially hurts low-income Black children, who have higher incidences of allergies to corn, wheat and soy than white kids.
Meet Josh. He鈥檚 a teenager in Fort Scott, Kansas, who dropped out of high school around the same time the town鈥檚 hospital closed. He says those two things are related.
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