An estimated 10% to 30% of people who get covid-19 suffer from lingering symptoms of the disease, or what’s known as “long covid.” This story is part of a partnership that includes NPR and KHN. It can be republished for free. Judy Dodd, who lives in New York City,… Read More »Mysterious Ailment, Mysterious Relief: Vaccines Help Some Covid Long Haulers
Kristin Novotny once led an active life, with regular CrossFit workouts and football in the front yard with her children — plus a job managing the kitchen at a middle school. Now, the 33-year-old mother of two from De Pere, Wisconsin, has to rest after… Read More »They Tested Negative for Covid. Still, They Have Long Covid Symptoms.
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Friday planned to roll out what could be the most ambitious attempt ever tried to treat American war fighters poisoned in deployments overseas. The bipartisan bill, modeled on both Agent Orange legislation and the 9/11 health act, aims to help… Read More »Military Exposed to Toxic Fumes From Burn Pits Set to Get Bipartisan Boost
The lungs Bill Thompson was born with told a gruesome, harrowing and unmistakable tale to Dr. Anthony Szema when he analyzed them and found the black spots, scarring, partially combusted jet fuel and metal inside. This story also ran on The Daily Beast. It can… Read More »Doctors Found Jet Fuel in Veteran’s Lungs. He Can’t Get Full Benefits.
This story also ran on USA Today. It can be republished for free. A slumber party to celebrate Delaney DePue’s 15th birthday last summer marked a new chapter — one defined by illness and uncertainty. The teen from Fort Walton Beach, Florida, tested positive for… Read More »Children’s Hospitals Grapple With Young Covid ‘Long Haulers’
With covid vaccines expected to remain scarce into early spring, Connecticut has scrapped its complicated plans to prioritize immunizations for people under 65 with certain chronic conditions and front-line workers. Instead, the state will primarily base eligibility on age. Gov. Ned Lamont pointed to statistics… Read More »Connecticut Is Doling Out Vaccines Based Strictly on Age. It’s Simpler, but Is it Fair?
This story also ran on LAist. It can be republished for free. The twinkle in his eyes, the delight in his smile, the joyous way he moved his disease-withered frame. They all proclaimed a single, resounding message: Grateful to be alive! “As my care team… Read More »Learning to Live Again: A Lazarus Tale From the Covid Front Lines
Cuatro semanas después de que la enfermera pediátrica de San Diego, Jennifer Minhas, se enfermara de covid en marzo pasado, la tos y la fiebre habían desaparecido, pero surgieron nuevos síntomas: dolor en el pecho, ritmo cardíaco acelerado y fatiga severa. Su médico de atención… Read More »Los casos prolongados de covid arrojan nueva luz sobre la fatiga crónica
Four weeks after San Diego pediatric nurse Jennifer Minhas fell ill with covid-19 last March, her cough and fever had resolved, but new symptoms had emerged: chest pain, an elevated heart rate and crushing fatigue. Her primary care physician told her she was just anxious,… Read More »Long-Haul Covid Cases Cast New Light on Chronic Fatigue Sufferers
SACRAMENTO — The nation’s dialysis industry has poured $233 million into California campaigns over the past four years, establishing its leading companies as a formidable political force eager to protect their bottom line and influence state policy. This story also ran on Los Angeles Times.… Read More »Dialysis Industry Spends Millions, Emerges as Power Player in California Politics
People buying their own health insurance have even more to think about this year, particularly those post-COVID-19 patients with lingering health concerns, the “long haulers,” who join the club of Americans with preexisting conditions. What type of plan is best for someone with an unpredictable,… Read More »During ACA Open Enrollment, Picking a Plan Invites New COVID Complications
For years, Sharad Acharya’s frequent hikes in the mountains outside Denver would leave him short of breath. But a real wake-up call came three years ago when he suddenly struggled to breathe while walking through an airport. An electrocardiogram revealed that Acharya, a Nepali American… Read More »Push Is On in US to Figure Out South Asians’ High Heart Risks
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The survival of California’s dialysis clinics is in the hands of its voters this November. Sound familiar? Voters heard the same dire campaign claim two years ago, when the dialysis industry spent a record $111 million to defeat a statewide ballot measure… Read More »Déjà Vu for California Voters on Dialysis
During the first presidential debate of 2020, President Donald Trump touted his efforts to curb skyrocketing drug prices and declared that insulin is now “so cheap, it’s like water.” The response on social media was swift, and divided, with some people sharing pharmacy… Read More »Progressive Group Highlights Trump, Tillis Weakness on Insulin Price Tags
Throughout the 2020 election cycle, candidates’ positions on health care have been particularly important for voters with underlying and often expensive medical needs — in short, those with preexisting conditions. It’s no surprise, then, that protections for people who have chronic health problems like diabetes… Read More »Fighting for Patient Protections While Attacking ACA — Hard to Have It Both Ways