pandemic
COVID deniers take vandalism case to Ohio Supreme Court
The Plain City Public Library asked her to leave in January 2021 for repeatedly refusing to wear her mask, as was state policy at the time. Court records indicate Julie Dean’s “unruly behavior had been a continual issue for the library.” Two months later she came back with her husband and some hard-to-remove stickers. “THERE […]
Ohio can measure ‘genuine progress’ over pandemic losses
The 2020s have been a tumultuous time for Ohio’s economy. The shock of quickly closing the economy to stave off the overcrowding of hospitals has been followed by two years of hesitancy for state residents to shop, eat out and engage in public life. This tumult was captured in state Gross Domestic Product (GDP) numbers. […]
Ohio’s pandemic politics cast long shadow over omicron surge
After a severe bout of COVID-19 put him in the ICU and left him with significant respiratory systems, Dr. Emily Amin’s patient had questions about getting vaccinated. Most of the COVID-19 patients Amin treats at the Wexner Medical Center are either vaccinated but manage an immune-compromising condition, or unvaccinated. In an interview, Amin recounted how […]
Giving thanks for vaccines, investments in American people, and those fighting gerrymandering
“Unfurrow your brow.” My mom’s frequent admonition to her easily impassioned daughter. I need a lot of reminding. I feel like I’ve been furrowing my forehead nonstop for almost two years straight. But on Turkey Day, I will take a moment, if not the whole day, to unknit that brow and give thanks for small […]
Journalism in middle America got communities through the pandemic
By William Thomas Mari, Louisiana State University News of the pandemic’s devastating effect on journalism was conveyed by headlines across the nation telling of newsroom closures, layoffs and furloughs. Journalism was in trouble in 2020. In fact, it had been in trouble for a while. But how did so many local news organizations – especially […]
‘Money without oversight;’ lawmaker proposes giving nursing homes $300 million
State lawmakers are considering giving Ohio’s nursing homes $300 million in federal funds to recover from the pandemic with no requirements regarding caregiver pay or quality of care. The lump sum payment in House Bill 461 would come with no requirements that the funds go to raise notoriously low salaries of the caregiver workforce or […]
COVID-19 rises again in an undervaccinated Ohio
COVID-19 cases are once again ascendant in the 10th least vaccinated state in the nation. State data shows infection rates are climbing and the workloads are reupping at hospitals, where more than 2,700 Ohioans are currently hospitalized with COVID-19. An analysis of state data shows that 11 months into the vaccine rollout, the ground is […]
COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations continue to wane in Ohio
COVID-19 infection rates in Ohio continued to descend Monday, as they have for roughly six weeks and counting. At October’s end, an average of roughly 2,700 Ohioans were contracting COVID-19 per day, as compared to nearly 7,200 in mid-September or more than 10,000 daily in December 2020, according to data from the state health department. […]
Who will get a booster shot? A Q-and-A about what the feds are saying
WASHINGTON — Booster shots soon will begin rolling out to some Americans who received the two-shot vaccine made by Pfizer—after a contentious and confusing federal approval process that isn’t over yet. Determining who exactly should be rolling up their sleeves for an additional dose was tricky. The Biden administration had leapfrogged federal regulatory panels in […]
Pandemic hardship is about to get a lot worse for millions of out-of-work Americans
By Jeffrey Kucik, University of Arizona and Don Leonard, The Ohio State University Millions of unemployed Americans lost pandemic-related jobless benefits as of Labor Day – just as surging cases of coronavirus slow the pace of hiring. In all, an estimated 8.8 million people stopped receiving unemployment insurance beginning on Sept. 6, 2021. Millions more […]
Is America experiencing a different kind of ‘civil war’?
Wars are not always fought by armed military forces with guns, bombs, stealth fighters, and sophisticated weaponry. And the enemy is not always clearly defined. Even the reasons for war often lack clarity. But the divisiveness and fighting still rage, nonetheless. At first glance, you might think characterizing the divisiveness that America is experiencing today […]
Do people have the “right” to contract and spread a deadly disease?
From the beginning of the spread of COVID-19, we knew a vaccine would be the most effective tool we would have to stymie its spread, reduce infections, and save lives. While so many things were new about COVID-19, we knew, like with any infectious disease, that vaccine technology would be our best bet for prevention […]