“Hospital ratings dive and medical errors rise when private equity firms are in charge,” Ars Technica’s Beth Mole reports.
LaunchHow red state politics are shaving years off American lives
Republican-dominated state policies on cigarettes, seat belts, and public health regulations are shortening life spans, The Washington Post reports.
LaunchBiden administration announces $600M to produce COVID tests and will reopen website to order them
Good news via The Associated Press: “The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it is providing $600 million in funding to produce new at-home COVID-19 tests and is restarting a website allowing Americans to again order up to four free tests per household — aiming to prevent possible shortages during a rise in coronavirus cases that has typically come during colder months.”
LaunchPandemic deaths in Ohio and Florida show partisan divide after vaccine rollout
Via Ars Technica: “Amid the pandemic, Republican voters in Ohio and Florida had a significantly higher rate of excess deaths after the nationwide rollout of COVID-19 vaccines compared with those who voted Democratic, according to a study published this week in JAMA Internal Medicine.”
LaunchFor COVID long-haulers, the pandemic is far from over
“I have heard of long COVID clinics closing and dropping patients. At some point, the doctors that are researching it may just give up. Where does that leave all of us?” long COVID patient Frank Ziegler asked.
LaunchBillionaires at Davos don’t think COVID is a cold
“We don’t deserve to be shoved back into poorly ventilated workplaces while our politicians and press assure us that only crazy people would demand to breathe clean air,” writes Julia Doubleday.
LaunchPresident Obama returns to the White House for the first time since 2016 for joint event with President Biden
Watch President Biden, Vice President Harris and former President Barack Obama deliver remarks on the Patient Protection Act and lowering healtcare costs for families. President Biden also announced additional actions to save families hundreds of dollars a month on their healthcare expenses.
LaunchVulnerable to COVID-19, high-risk Americans feel left behind
“Transplant recipients, cancer patients and millions of other Americans with risk factors feel ignored and abandoned as their neighbors, and their government, seek a return to normal,” Amanda Morris and Maggie Astor write.
LaunchOmicron wave was brutal on kids; hospitalization rates 4X higher than delta’s
“Despite being widely seen as mild, the omicron coronavirus variant has been brutal on children and adolescents—particularly babies and toddlers, who are still ineligible for vaccination,” Beth Mole writes.
LaunchPresident Biden addresses the nation to offer an update on combating COVID-19 and the omicron variant
The President spoke on December 21st, 2021, from the East Room of the White House to lay out what the administration is doing to fight COVID-19 and the omicron variant.
LaunchWhy we need to upgrade our face masks — and where to get them
“High-quality respirators such as N95s and KN95s are now widely available and provide the best protection against COVID, according to experts. Why aren’t more people wearing them?” Tanya Lewis asks.
LaunchAs a doctor, I’m out of compassion for unvaccinated people
“The burden of this pandemic now rests on the shoulders of the unvaccinated,” writes Anita Sircar. “On those who are eligible to get vaccinated, but choose not to, a decision they defend by declaring, ‘vaccination is a deeply personal choice.’ But perhaps never in history has anyone’s personal choice impacted the world as a whole as it does right now.”
LaunchUnited States is among nations with highest rate of new Covid-19 cases
“The United States remains among nations with the highest rate of new Covid-19 cases, driven mostly by a surge in the South, where many states are lagging in getting people vaccinated against the coronavirus,” Aya Elamroussi reports.
LaunchThey spurned the vaccine. Now they want you to know they regret it.
“People who once rejected the vaccine or simply waited too long are now grappling with the consequences, often in raw, public way,” The New York Times’ Jack Healy reports.
LaunchAppalachian COVID deniers anger nurses in Virginia
Jamie Swift, a registered nurse who oversees infection prevention at Johnston Memorial Hospital, a rural healthcare provider in The Old Dominion, is very familiar with covidiots. In her community, they’re everywhere.
LaunchAmerica’s 250,000 COVID-19 deaths: People die, but little changes
The Washington Post has published a discomforting report about America’s ineffective response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, which details the resistance to mask wearing and physical distancing in many parts of the country.
LaunchA harsh lesson in the reality of COVID-19
An enthusiastic Donald Trump backer who trusted Trump and Pence instead of public health experts and lost family members as a result has a warning for people who still think like he once did.
LaunchA summer vacation during coronavirus? Experts weigh in
It’s the summer of COVID-19. BuzzFeed wonders: “How safe is it to take a trip? And what summer activities are less risky than others?”
LaunchCOVID-19 risks: Know them, avoid them
Erin S. Bromage, Ph.D., an Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, has published an informative primer on which environments the novel coronavirus is most easily transmitted in, which also discusses how people can minimize getting sick.
LaunchGovernor Jay Inslee offers scathing response to Republican legal attacks: “Anyone can file a lawsuit, and anyone has.”
During a COVID-19 update press conference, Governor Jay Inslee offered a scathing response to Republican legal attacks: “Anyone can file a lawsuit, and anyone has.”
LaunchRethinking and reframing: Let’s aim for physical rather than social distancing
“Isolation can be toxic. Let’s increase physical distance, but stay connected,: writes Dr. Kenneth E. Miller.
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