Comparing Death Tolls From Covid to Past Wars Is Fraught
By Will Stone and Carrie Feibel, NPR News
Covid-19 has now killed more Americans than World War II did. That fact helps some people put the viral death toll in perspective, while others find it offensive.
Grief Grew Into A Mental Health Crisis And A $21,634 Hospital Bill
By Laura Ungar
She spent five days in the hospital undergoing psychiatric care. The bill she got is about the same price as a new Honda Civic.
Hospitals’ Rocky Rollout of Covid Vaccine Sparks Questions of Fairness
By Phil Galewitz
The lack of a federal strategy on how distribution should work at the local level means that states, hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacies are making decisions on their own about who gets vaccinated and when.
Signs of an ‘October Vaccine Surprise’ Alarm Career Scientists
By Liz Szabo and JoNel Aleccia
President Donald Trump has the legal power to authorize a COVID vaccine over the objections of the Food and Drug Administration and vaccine manufacturers. Such a move could further erode public trust in a vaccine and foist an unsafe shot on Americans.
Lifetime Experiences Help Older Adults Build Resilience to Pandemic Trauma
By Judith Graham
These seniors use coping strategies to keep them socially active yet safe from the coronavirus.
‘We’re Coming for You’: For Public Health Officials, a Year of Threats and Menace
By Anna Maria Barry-Jester
Local health officials have become the face of government authority as they work to stem the pandemic. That has made them targets for chilling threats from some of the same militia groups that stormed the U.S. Capitol. Santa Cruz leaders are among those whose daily routines now incorporate security patrols, surveillance cameras and, in some cases, firearms.
Conspiracy Theories Aside, Here’s What Contact Tracers Really Do
By Julie Appleby
Recently, the idea has triggered a lot of conspiracy-theory talk. But it’s actually a tried-and-true public health tool being applied to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Insulin’s Steep Price Leads To Deadly Rationing
By Bram Sable-Smith, Side Effects Public Media
Alec Raeshawn Smith was 23 when diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, and 26 when he died. He couldn’t afford $1,300 per month for his insulin and other diabetes supplies. So he tried to stretch the doses.
At Lake Of The Ozarks, It’s (Almost) Business As Usual, Despite The Coronavirus
By Sara Shipley Hiles
This popular resort area gained national attention for a viral video showing Memorial Day partiers disregarding guidelines to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Now, with summer looming and at least one COVID-19 case connected to the gathering, it reflects the difficult balance between safety and tourism.
‘You Pray That You Got The Drug.’ Ailing Couple Gambles On Trial For COVID-19 Cure
By JoNel Aleccia
Josie and George Taylor of Everett, Washington, are two of the first people in the U.S. to recover from novel coronavirus infections after joining a clinical trial for the antiviral drug remdesivir.
