Bird Flu Tests Are Hard To Get. So How Will We Know When To Sound the Pandemic Alarm?
By Amy Maxmen and Arthur Allen
If widely used, flu tests could be helpful now. In the meantime, the government needs to clear a path for H5N1 tests, researchers warn, to avoid the early missteps of the covid pandemic.
‘I Try To Stay Strong’: Mom Struggles To Get Diagnosis for Son’s Developmental Problems
By Sejal Parekh
An Alameda County mother has spent 10 months seeking help for her 4-year-old son’s speech and behavior issues from his school district and her Medicaid health insurer. She still doesn’t have an answer.
Biden Plan To Save Medicare Patients Money on Drugs Risks Empty Shelves, Pharmacists Say
By Susan Jaffe
President Joe Biden is campaigning for reelection on his efforts to cut costs for Medicare patients at the pharmacy counter. But independent pharmacists say one strategy makes it unaffordable for them to keep some brand-name medicines in stock.
Las pruebas para la gripe aviar son difíciles de conseguir. ¿Cómo saber si estamos en una pandemia?
By Amy Maxmen and Arthur Allen
Muchos laboratorios de diagnóstico están capacitados para detectar el virus. Sin embargo, la burocracia, los problemas de facturación y la falta de inversión no permiten aumentar rápidamente la disponibilidad generalizada de pruebas.
Daily Edition for Monday, June 10, 2024
Nursing home safety, maternal health, the housing crisis, climate-related disasters, MDMA, toxic stress, covid variants, and more are in the news.
Nursing Homes Are Left in the Dark as More Utilities Cut Power To Prevent Wildfires
By Kate Ruder
A nursing home in Colorado had 75 minutes to prepare for a power outage that lasted 28 hours. Such public safety power shut-offs are being used more often as a fire prevention tool, but not all health facilities are prepared.
Residencias de adultos mayores quedan a oscuras en la lucha contra los incendios forestales
By Kate Ruder
A medida que se generalizan los cortes de electricidad preventivos, las residencias de adultos mayores se ven obligadas a evaluar cómo prepararse. Pero no debería depender sólo de las residencias, según autoridades del sector y académicos.
Daily Edition for Friday, June 7, 2024
People’s Park At UC Berkeley Can Be Developed Into Housing, Justices Rule: The California Supreme Court cleared the way Thursday for UC Berkeley to build housing for students and unhoused people in historic People’s Park. The park in recent years became a refuge for homeless people and a magnet for drugs, rats, and crime. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, and CalMatters.
Thousands of Children Got Tested for Lead With Faulty Devices: What Parents Should Know
By Julie Appleby
Faulty lead test kits made by Magellan Diagnostics may have been used as late as 2021 to test children for exposure to the toxic metal. The company agreed to pay $42 million to settle criminal charges that it concealed malfunctions.
Heat Rules for California Workers Would Also Help Keep Schoolchildren Cool
By Samantha Young
Proposed state standards to protect indoor workers from extreme heat would extend to schools. The rules come as climate change is bringing more frequent and intense heat waves, causing schools nationwide to cancel instruction.
