Category: Infectious Disease
Covid Is Killing Rural Americans at Twice the Rate of Urbanites
Rural Americans are dying of covid at more than twice the rate of their urban counterparts — a divide that health experts say is likely to widen as access to medical care shrinks for a population that tends to be older, sicker, heavier, poorer and less vaccinated.
Answers to your questions about COVID-19 vaccines
As deadlines near for COVID-19 vaccination mandates, you or someone you know may have questions about the vaccines. There’s plenty of mis-information available. For reliable answers, local health specialists from Public Health—Seattle & King County have been answering many key questions.
Can healthy people who eat right and exercise skip the COVID-19 vaccine? A research scientist and fitness enthusiast explains why the answer is no
I encourage people to do all they can to improve the health and functioning of their immune system, naturally. Then, seriously consider what additional protection would be gained from vaccination against COVID-19. When people make decisions based on the latest science – which is always evolving – rather than on emotions and misinformation, the decision should become much clearer.
Yes, you can receive the flu vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine in the same visit
With more people gathering this fall and reports of overburdened hospitals from COVID-19’s delta variant, the American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association and the American Lung Association are urging individuals over six months old to get their annual flu shot and for anyone who is eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Half of unvaccinated workers say they’d rather quit than get a shot – but real-world data suggest few are following through
But while it is easy and cost-free to tell a pollster you’ll quit your job, actually doing so when it means losing a paycheck you and your family may depend upon is another matter.
As More Kids Are Quarantined, Lawmakers Rethink Mask Policies
Seventeen states and the District of Columbia require everyone to wear masks in K-12 schools. Six states prohibit any such requirement, and 24 states leave the decision up to local school districts. Two states have had mask mandate bans overturned, and Florida had an overturned ban reinstated.
I Got a ‘Mild’ Breakthrough Case. Here’s What I Wish I’d Known.
I should have known what was coming, but there was some part of me that couldn’t quite believe it. I had a breakthrough case of covid-19 — despite my two shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine,
Scientists Examine Kids’ Unique Immune Systems as More Fall Victim to Covid
Until the delta variant laid siege this summer, nearly all children seemed to be spared from the worst ravages of covid, for reasons scientists didn’t totally understand. Now, nearly 30% of cases are in children.
Covid-Overwhelmed Hospitals Postpone Cancer Care and Other Treatment
Oregon Health & Science University in Portland which is the state’s only public academic medical center and serves patients from across the region, has had to postpone numerous surgeries and procedures in the wake of the delta surge of the pandemic
King County will require proof of vaccination for restaurants, bars and other public venues
People who are unvaccinated or cannot prove vaccine status will be required to show proof of a negative PCR COVID-19 test in the last 72 hours, or an FDA-approved rapid test result from test conducted by a testing provider on site at an event or establishment just prior to entry.
States Embrace Vaccine Mandates Despite Potential Worker Exodus
Washington state’s mandate, issued last month by Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee, covers more than 800,000 workers. And unlike the economy-wide mandate announced by Biden last week, it doesn’t allow employees to submit to weekly testing instead of getting a vaccine.
Our mobile phones are covered in bacteria and viruses… and we never wash them
We carry them everywhere (including the toilet) but they’re rarely cleaned or sanitised, and we touch them with our hands many, many times per day.
Over-the-counter rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 can help slow the spread of the delta variant – here’s when to use them
Rapid antigen testing makes it much easier to get tested for COVID-19, which helps detect infectious cases before they spread. But many people are still unsure of how best to use these tests and whether they are accurate enough to be useful.
In-Person Workers Are Slow to Return to Jobs, Data Shows
Many of the historically high job openings reflect a rapid need for jobs that must be done in person, including hospitality but also manufacturing, construction and health care.
Are stadiums safe?
With COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths soaring from the delta variant, many fans are wondering if it is wise to crowd into the stands.