COVID-19
In COVID’s third winter, biggest threat is three viruses at once
Ohio health officials are urging caution again this winter. But entering our third holiday season with COVID-19, the nature of those warnings is a bit different. As Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff explained, this year the threat is multiple respiratory viruses at once. “Unlike the last two winters, it’s not just about […]
COVID-denial, election-denial not far apart, OSU researchers found
You’ve probably heard of “gateway” drugs, but a group of researchers at Ohio State University say there’s such a thing as a “gateway conspiracy.” A duo of surveys done by psychology researchers and supported by the National Science Foundation seek to bolster the field of “conspiracy theory research,” which an announcement of the study said […]
Ohio Supreme Court: Cedar Point customers can’t get refunds for pandemic changes
The Ohio Supreme Court said an Ohio amusement park had every right to change their admission rules during the government-mandated COVID-19 pandemic shutdown. The court ruled that the owners of Cedar Point were “neither unjustly enriched nor in breach of contract” when the park was closed for two months during the pandemic shutdown, keeping 2020 […]
State health officials preach prevention as Monkeypox, COVID-19 continue spread
Ohio Department of Health officials emphasized calm and caution during an update Thursday. Cases of Monkeypox are on the rise nationally, and COVID-19 continues to spread as children prepare to return to school. Both present challenges, health officials explained, but the state is well-positioned to respond. Monkeypox cases so far have come primarily from to […]
Doctors discredit Ohio transgender bill as extreme overreach
Adding to the criticism from the medical field about bills attempting to restrict transgender health and inclusion in Ohio, doctors Thursday expressed grave concerns about a bill that would ban trans youth from participating in their chosen sports. During a press conference led by Democratic state representatives, Dr. Anita Somani held up a speculum, used […]
GOP reps introduce bill to expand access to ivermectin, other debunked covid cures
Several Ohio House Republicans have revived efforts to expand COVID-19 patients’ access to ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, and other drugs that have been shown to be ineffective in treating the disease. The legislation would compel health departments to enter into agreements to “promote and increase distribution” of the drugs. If health departments decline to do so, the […]
Do you need a second booster shot? An epidemiologist has some answers
In late March 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized a second booster shot of COVID-19 vaccines for vulnerable populations in the U.S., a move that was soon after endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People ages 50 years and older and certain immunocompromised individuals who are at higher risk for […]
Biden administration announces boost for rural health care in midterm election push
As the midterm election season ramps up, the Biden administration wants rural Americans to know it’ll be spending a lot of money to improve health care in rural areas. It has tasked Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack with delivering the message that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed long-standing problems with health care infrastructure in remote parts of […]
COVID-19 is causing more type 1 diabetes in kids, who will be saddled with high insulin prices
As nurses, my husband and I witnessed truly awful and devastating things treating patients on the frontlines of this pandemic. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have died, while the millions who survived, now faced with disability, are left to grapple with the harsh realities of long COVID-19. Among those millions of people living with long-term health impacts […]
U.S. lawmakers look for path ahead on billions in restaurant, small business aid
Restaurants and other businesses that have survived more than two years of COVID-19 restrictions could see an infusion of federal dollars in the coming months, as long as U.S. lawmakers reach final agreement on a multibillion-dollar package. The U.S. House has approved a bill with $42 billion for restaurants and $13 billion for a hard-hit industries program […]
U.S. Senate strikes bipartisan agreement on $10 billion in COVID-19 funding
The U.S. Senate reached a bipartisan deal on pandemic aid funding Monday, settling on $10 billion for added testing, treatment and vaccines. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, and Utah GOP Sen. Mitt Romney released separate statements Monday afternoon announcing the compromise, though Schumer was disappointed negotiators didn’t reach an agreement on […]
Congress reaches deal on massive spending package with billions for Ukraine
WASHINGTON — Democrats and Republicans forged agreement early Wednesday on a spending package that will fund the government for the next eight months, as well as provide billions in emergency funding for the war in Ukraine. The announcement means Congress should be able to avert a government shutdown when a spending patch expires at midnight […]