The pollution began before the storm even made landfall. In the two days before the storm arrived, facilities in Texas released more than 4 million pounds of extra air pollution, according to reports the companies made to state environmental regulators that were analyzed by the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund for NPR.
Pre-pandemic, about half of U.S. families reported having trouble finding care for a young child. That number jumped to nearly two-thirds this spring as day cares closed and other caretakers, such as grandparents and nannies, were told to stay home. And with many schools operating remotely, in a hybrid model or abruptly changing course this fall, many more parents, including those…
At scale, the data gathered in those calls also offers vital information about where transmission is happening in a community. That data can drive policy and even guide individuals in assessing what’s more or less safe to go out and do. Read the full article: NPR
By Dec. 1, the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 could reach nearly 300,000. That’s the grim new projection from researchers at the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation — one of the more prominent teams modeling the pandemic. The new forecast, released Thursday, projects that between now and December, 137,000 people will…
Could technology finally solve the testing woes that have hobbled the nation’s ability to fight the pandemic? The National Institutes of Health hopes so. On Friday, the NIH announced the first seven winners of a competition to produce next-generation coronavirus tests to help battle the spread of COVID-19. Together, they will receive $248.7 million to further…
Three recent studies – from China, Britain and now the United States – have called into question how long people carry antibodies after infection. But the reality may be less dire than recent headlines suggest.
How worried should expecting parents be about any extra risks the coronavirus might pose to the mom or developing fetus? The answer and advice may continue to change, public health officials say, as the evidence rolls in.
What parents need to be on the lookout for are behavior changes that affect day-to-day functioning. This includes things like eating, sleeping and interactions with friends.
The need for mental health support is more evident than ever, especially among Black Americans, say people who study and experience the burden of racism. People of color were already dealing with heavy loads from a pandemic that continues to claim a greater proportion of Black, Latino and Native American lives and a greater share of jobs. Now…
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act passed by Congress requires health plans to fully pay for testing deemed “medically necessary.” But as testing expands enough to allow people without symptoms to be tested, a gray area is beginning to appear. The coverage mandate can be up to interpretation.