health care

Fire brigade personnel sanitize a government hospital as part of precautionary measures against the coronavirus in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday.

India's Doctors Worry The Country Is Unprepared For A Coronavirus Surge

1:52pm March 26, 2020

Per capita, India has fewer hospital beds and ventilators than almost any country in the world. Medical professionals fear the government's promised $2 billion health care revamp will be too late.

Health & Safety

Views From A New York City Midwife During The Epidemic

10:03pm March 25, 2020

NPR's Michel Martin, Hansi Lo Wang and Rebecca Hersher speak with New York City midwife Eugenia Montesinos about the effect the coronavirus is having on her work.

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ICU capabilities vary not only from hospital to hospital, but also from region to region. Some parts of the country have far more critical care beds by population than others.

ICU Bed Capacity Varies Widely Nationwide. See How Your Area Stacks Up

7:47pm March 25, 2020

by Robert Benincasa

An NPR analysis of the nation's 100,000 ICU beds finds some communities can accommodate far more critically ill patients than others, signaling potential disparities in care in the COVID-19 pandemic.

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President Trump takes questions from reporters Monday. Joining him at the press briefing on coronavirus are Vice President Pence; Attorney General William Barr; Dr. Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus response coordinator; and Navy Rear Adm. John Polowc

As The Coronavirus Crisis Heats Up, Why Isn't America Hearing From The CDC?

6:00pm March 25, 2020

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Usually in health emergencies — HIV, vaping and more — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is key to shaping policy and explaining it. That's changing to America's detriment, leaders say.

Health care workers from Virginia Hospital Center put on their personal protective equipment before people arrive at a drive-through coronavirus testing site in Arlington, Va., on Friday.

Can The U.S. Crowdsource Its Way Out Of A Mask Shortage? No, But It Still Helps

10:53am March 25, 2020

by Eric Westervelt

The shortage of masks and other protective gear has left medical staff pleading for help. Several pop-up volunteer groups are matching individual donors with local hospitals most in need.

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Doctors test a hospital staffer Tuesday for coronavirus, in a triage tent that's been set up outside the E.R. at St. Barnabas hospital in the Bronx. Hospital workers are at higher risk of getting COVID-19, and public health experts fear a staffing shortag

States Get Creative To Find And Deploy More Health Workers In COVID-19 Fight

8:40am March 25, 2020

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

To stop COVID-19, retired doctors are signing up to take clinical shifts. Specialists, including dentists, could move to front line care. And med students are fielding calls in overwhelmed clinics.

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"We haven't flattened the curve, and the curve is actually increasing," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said of new coronavirus cases Tuesday. Cuomo said his state now has more than 25,000 cases, as he gave an update on the COVID-19 outbreak at a news conferen

Coronavirus: New York Infection Rate Is 'Doubling About Every 3 Days,' Cuomo Says

8:14pm March 24, 2020

by Bill Chappell

"We were looking at a freight train coming across the country — we're now looking at a bullet train," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. The state now has more than 25,000 cases.

Health & Safety

How Hospitals May Ration Lifesaving Supplies In The Event Of A Shortage

5:30pm March 24, 2020

Testing kits and masks are already running short. Ventilators may soon be. NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Dr. Lee Daugherty Biddison about the ethical guidelines doctors use to allocate scarce supplies.

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Health & Safety

ER Doctor In Seattle, An Early COVID-19 Epicenter, On The Challenges Ahead

5:20pm March 24, 2020

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to Dr. Sachita Shah, an emergency physician at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, about the challenges of the coronavirus response for hospitals and doctors.

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Nurses check registration lists before testing patients for coronavirus at the University of Washington Medical Center on March 13 in Seattle.

People With Disabilities Say Rationing Care Policies Violate Civil Rights

9:27pm March 23, 2020

by Joseph Shapiro

People with disabilities are asking the federal government to stop state and hospital policies that they fear will ration care in favor of younger and healthier people.