Medical Treatments

Arkansas Governor Hits The Road To Combat Vaccine Hesitancy

4:44pm July 19, 2021

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, who is traveling around his state trying to convince constituents — face-to-face — to get vaccinated.

Health & Safety

Developing COVID-19 Treatments Is A Main Focus For Medical Experts

9:27am July 17, 2021

Scott Simon speaks to Dr. Arturo Casadevall of Johns Hopkins University about current and future treatments for COVID-19 patients.

Johnson & Johnson Dealt Another Blow As Vaccine Is Linked To Rare Nerve Syndrome

4:21pm July 15, 2021

by Pien Huang

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was dealt another blow this week with news that the vaccine is tied to a rare autoimmune disorder. But the vaccine's place in the U.S. program was already languishing.

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, who has helped the U.S. through other crises like the Zika outbreak, is now taking on health misinformation around COVID-19, which he says continues to jeopardize the country's efforts to beat back the virus.

Health & Safety

The U.S. Surgeon General Is Calling COVID-19 Misinformation An 'Urgent Threat'

11:33am July 15, 2021

by Geoff Brumfiel

The nation's top doctor, Vivek Murthy, says misinformation will keep sowing mistrust and endangering lives unless all Americans do their part to fight it.

UCSF neurosurgeon Edward Chang says a system that lets a man express his thoughts at 15 words a minute is just the beginning for computer-mediated communication.

Health & Safety

Experimental Brain Implant Lets Man With Paralysis Turn His Thoughts Into Words

10:36am July 15, 2021

by Jon Hamilton

A stroke left a man paralyzed and speechless. Now a device that decodes brain signals is letting him generate words and sentences.

Jameson Rybak, son of Jim and Suzanne Rybak of Florence, S.C., struggled with opioid addiction and died of an overdose on June 9, 2020 — three months after he left a hospital ER because he feared he couldn't afford treatment.

A Tragic Death Shows How ERs Fail Patients Who Struggle With Addiction

11:00am July 14, 2021

by Aneri Pattani

ER doctors wanted to hospitalize the young man to help ease his withdrawal from opioid dependence. But he declined because he couldn't afford it. His mom says no one told him he had financial options.

Arizona Needs To Better Incorporate Spanish Into Its Vaccination Plan, Activists Say

4:25pm July 12, 2021

by Angela Gervasi

Vaccination rates for white people are nearly double those for Latino residents in Arizona. Activists say the state has been slow to incorporate Spanish into its vaccination campaign.

Pfizer Is Pursuing A Booster Shot And New Vaccine Targeting The Delta Variant

4:24pm July 09, 2021

by Joe Palca

Federal health officials say a booster isn't currently needed for anyone fully vaccinated against COVID-19. But testing is underway to determine what is the best boosting strategy should it be needed.

Health conditions exacerbated by obesity include heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, according to the CDC. Researchers say the newly approved drug Wegovy could help many who struggle with obesity lose weight.

Health & Safety

Obesity Drug's Promise Now Hinges On Insurance Coverage

7:48pm July 06, 2021

by Yuki Noguchi

Clinical trials show Wegovy triples the average weight loss seen with other drugs. Whether it will reach many patients largely depends on whether insurers decide to cover it.

Kathleen McAuliffe, a home care worker for Catholic Charities in a Portland, Maine, suburb, helps client John Gardner with his weekly chores. McAuliffe shops for Gardner's groceries, cleans his home and runs errands for him during her weekly visit.

With Workers In Short Supply, Seniors Often Wait Months For Home Health Care

5:03am June 30, 2021

by Phil Galewitz

Seniors, their families and states are eager to keep older Americans in their homes and out of nursing homes, but those efforts are often thwarted by worker shortages and low pay.