Latest Morning Briefing Stories
Durango’s Covid ‘Cowboy’ Rounds Up Spring Break Scofflaws, Lines ’Em Up for Shots
The city of Durango has hired an actor to bring his Old West acting skills to tackle a current problem: the Wild West of spring break, in which visitors from states such as Texas and Oklahoma flock to town. The “lawman” cajoles them into wearing masks while vaccinators stand ready for out-of-town visitors.
Dramatic Drop in Common Viruses Raises Question: Masks Forever?
Hospitalizations are down 62% for childhood respiratory illnesses, a study shows. Masking and social distancing are keeping a variety of viruses in check this flu season.
For Counties and Clinics, Blue Shield Takeover of Vaccination Task Fixes What Wasn’t Broken
Rural Mendocino County had finally figured out its vaccination program. But now the community clinics that helped make it happen are changing course as Blue Shield of California takes over the state vaccine program.
Dramática baja de enfermedades por virus comunes, ¿significa máscaras para siempre?
Algunos expertos, como los investigadores que intentan mejorar las máscaras, argumentan que más sociedades deberían adoptarlas, como lo han hecho algunos países asiáticos.
Web Event: The Crucial Role of Home Health Workers, Unsung Heroes of the Pandemic
Watch an intimate conversation about this workforce, which provides vital care to vulnerable people. Our panel included those doing the work and those who rely on them, as well as expert insight on improving the jobs, honoring the care and paying for it all.
Ask KHN-PolitiFact: How Can Covid Vaccines Be Safe When They Were Developed So Fast?
Experts say there’s nothing new about the research underpinning the covid vaccines and that they were tested in more participants than many other approved vaccines.
Covid Vaccine Hesitancy Drops Among All Americans, New Survey Shows
A nationwide poll released by KFF also revealed which arguments are most compelling to persuade people to get a shot — and which ones are unlikely to work.
In His Continued Sparring With Fauci, Sen. Rand Paul Oversimplified the Science
The Kentucky lawmaker was right that a recent study offered evidence that vaccination and previous infection appear to neutralize covid-19. But experts say that doesn’t mean people should be complacent.
Analysis: How the US Invested in the War on Terrorism at the Cost of Public Health
After 9/11, as our defenses against international and bioterrorism hardened, our defenses against infectious diseases shrank. By the time a deadly virus arrived on our shores last year, nearly two-thirds of Americans were living in counties that spend more than twice as much on policing as they spend on public health.
Scientists Seek Covid Treatment Answers in Cheap, Older Drugs
Philanthropies are funding studies of cheap, existing medications like the antidepressant fluvoxamine as covid treatments. But early hype about hydroxychloroquine and other repurposed drugs leaves researchers leery of hasty conclusions.