health care

Dr. Dinora Chinchilla is finally taking a month off after working seven consecutive months.

As Pandemic Persists, Health Care Heroes Beginning To Crack Under The Strain

4:34pm August 22, 2020

by Lesley McClurg

Many doctors are suffering burnout five months into the pandemic. But the toll is compounded for Latino doctors serving heavily affected Latino communities. Some are now beginning to seek help.

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When the pandemic hit this spring, U.S. rural hospitals lost an estimated 70% of their income as patients avoided the emergency room, doctor's appointments and elective surgeries. "It was devastating," says Maggie Elehwany of the National Rural Health Ass

Health & Safety

Rural Hospitals Are Sinking Under COVID-19 Financial Pressures

7:00am August 22, 2020

by Sarah Jane Tribble

America's rural hospitals were struggling even before the pandemic. Now, the loss of revenue from months of deferred treatments and surgeries have pulled more to the brink, as federal relief fades.

A drop-off at a day care last month in the Queens borough of New York City.

Day Care, Grandparent, Pod Or Nanny? How To Manage The Risks Of Pandemic Child Care

5:47pm August 21, 2020

by Katherine Harmon Courage

At least two-thirds of U.S. families are struggling to find safe and affordable child care as the pandemic rages on. NPR asked infectious disease experts to help sort the health risks of each option.

Dr. Deborah Birx speaks to reporters this week outside the Arkansas Governor's Mansion in Little Rock. Birx indicated that data on U.S. COVID-19 hospitalizations will move back to the CDC under a "revolutionary new data system" the agency is developing.

Health & Safety

Birx Stokes Hopes That Key Hospital Data Tracking Will Soon Return To CDC

8:53pm August 20, 2020

by Pien Huang

Dr. Deborah Birx says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is creating a new way to track COVID-19 hospitalizations a month after such data collection was moved outside the agency.

University of Illinois graduate student Kristen Muñoz submits her saliva sample for coronavirus testing on the Urbana-Champaign campus.

Health & Safety

Swab, Spit Or Stay Home? A Wide Variety Of Plans To Keep Coronavirus Off Campus

3:18pm August 20, 2020

Colleges are rolling out a dizzying diversity of COVID-19 containment plans for students and staff. Some have no plans for routine testing, while others aim to test everyone on campus twice a week.

Beware of scammers. Legitimate contact tracers will never ask you for any sort of payment or seek other financial information or your Social Security number.

How To Tell A Real COVID-19 Contact Tracer's Call From A Scammer's

9:47am August 20, 2020

by Julie Appleby

A loved one's health could depend on the truth if you get a call from a real contact tracer about your exposure to the coronavirus. But beware impostors who ask you for payment or to click on a link.

The experimental antiviral drug remdesivir shortened hospital stays for seriously ill COVID-19 patients in a federally funded study. But there's not enough of the medicine to go around.

Health & Safety

How Feds Decide On Remdesivir Shipments To States Remains Mysterious

6:10pm August 19, 2020

by Sydney Lupkin

The federal government is in charge of distributing one of the few treatment options for COVID-19: the antiviral drug remdesivir. But how are decisions made about which states need it most?

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Will Flu Be A Risk This Fall? Doctors Insist People Should Get The Flu Shot Anyway

4:04pm August 19, 2020

by Allison Aubrey

Vaccine manufacturers have increased the production of flu shots for this season. Experts say a combination of the coronavirus and seasonal flu could be a lethal mix.

Why Is It So Hard To Get Tested For The Coronavirus Months Into The Pandemic?

5:11pm August 18, 2020

by Rob Stein

Many localities require a negative coronavirus test for various activities, such as traveling or visiting an older relative. But finding a test with a quick enough turnaround can be challenging.

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Air conditioners on a building. Scientists say there has been too little research into the role of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in the spread of the coronavirus.

Can Air Conditioners Spread COVID-19?

5:00am August 15, 2020

by Jessica Craig

People are worried that the virus could be spread by air conditioning systems. Here's what researchers do — and don't yet — know.