Public health experts who backed strict social distancing polices for months during the pandemic have softened that stance to allow for large protests following the death of George Floyd, leading to bitter accusations of double standards.On Tuesday, 1,288 healthcare professionals and medical students signed their names to an open backing the protests on the grounds that it was ideologically justified. “We continue to support demonstrators who are tackling the paramount public health problem of pervasive racism," they wrote.Some of the signees had previously called for stricter social...…Public health experts who backed strict social distancing polices for months during the pandemic have softened that stance to allow for large protests following the death of George Floyd, leading to bitter accusations of double standards.On Tuesday, 1,288 healthcare professionals and medical students signed their names to an open backing the protests on the grounds that it was ideologically justified. “We continue to support demonstrators who are tackling the paramount public health problem of pervasive racism," they wrote.Some of the signees had previously called for stricter social...WW…

States that have appear to be faring no worse in terms of cases than those that have not, a new data analysis by the Washington Examiner shows.All 50 states have either reopened at least parts of their economies or are in the process of doing so.In some states that have reopened very recently, it may be too soon to tell the effect on cases since the incubation period for the virus is widely believed to be two weeks. States that reopened their economies two weeks ago or earlier have seen, on average, a day-to-day decline in new cases of -0.4% based on from the University of Maryland. In...…States that have appear to be faring no worse in terms of cases than those that have not, a new data analysis by the Washington Examiner shows.All 50 states have either reopened at least parts of their economies or are in the process of doing so.In some states that have reopened very recently, it may be too soon to tell the effect on cases since the incubation period for the virus is widely believed to be two weeks. States that reopened their economies two weeks ago or earlier have seen, on average, a day-to-day decline in new cases of -0.4% based on from the University of Maryland. In...WW…

Patient visits to emergency rooms have dropped precipitously since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, in some places declining as much as 50%. The results have often been tragic, with some patients waiting too long to visit the ER and doctors scrambling to let patients know that they can't put off ER visits.Yet it may also be a sign of something far more benign: ER overuse."It's not a surprise to talk about inappropriate emergency room visits," said Dr. Ryan Radecki, an ER physician at Kaiser Permanente in Portland, Oregon. "There has always been a problem with people attending the...…Patient visits to emergency rooms have dropped precipitously since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, in some places declining as much as 50%. The results have often been tragic, with some patients waiting too long to visit the ER and doctors scrambling to let patients know that they can't put off ER visits.Yet it may also be a sign of something far more benign: ER overuse."It's not a surprise to talk about inappropriate emergency room visits," said Dr. Ryan Radecki, an ER physician at Kaiser Permanente in Portland, Oregon. "There has always been a problem with people attending the...WW…

Congressional Democrats' first order of business is shoring up and expanding Obamacare, rather than the more ambitious proposals advanced during the election, such as President Biden's public option or Bernie Sanders's "Medicare for all."Democrats have discussed making Obamacare expansions in the recently passed American Rescue Plan permanent, further expanding Obamacare exchanges and Medicaid, and lowering prescription drug prices.The American Rescue Plan expanded premium tax credits, also called subsidies, for people purchasing coverage on the Obamacare exchange for two years. On Tuesday,...…Congressional Democrats' first order of business is shoring up and expanding Obamacare, rather than the more ambitious proposals advanced during the election, such as President Biden's public option or Bernie Sanders's "Medicare for all."Democrats have discussed making Obamacare expansions in the recently passed American Rescue Plan permanent, further expanding Obamacare exchanges and Medicaid, and lowering prescription drug prices.The American Rescue Plan expanded premium tax credits, also called subsidies, for people purchasing coverage on the Obamacare exchange for two years. On Tuesday,...WW…

Mask mandates and restaurant restrictions lower coronavirus cases and deaths, according to new research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.However, the released Friday finds that the effects, though significant, are relatively small.The CDC examined cases and deaths at the county level from March to December 2020 in the first 100 days after masks were mandated and restaurants were allowed to reopen. Counties in states that issued mask mandates saw COVID-19 cases drop by half of a percentage point in the first 20 days. The effect grew, topping out at a decline of 1.8...…Mask mandates and restaurant restrictions lower coronavirus cases and deaths, according to new research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.However, the released Friday finds that the effects, though significant, are relatively small.The CDC examined cases and deaths at the county level from March to December 2020 in the first 100 days after masks were mandated and restaurants were allowed to reopen. Counties in states that issued mask mandates saw COVID-19 cases drop by half of a percentage point in the first 20 days. The effect grew, topping out at a decline of 1.8...WW…

Although coronavirus vaccines are now being rolled out, it will be months before most people have access to them. In the meantime, information about which treatments for COVID-19 are effective and safe is crucial.Below is a list of treatments for COVID-19 that have received considerable media attention in the last year. This list describes the latest state of the research on these treatments and which governmental organizations approve the treatment.Remdesivir: Remdesivir is an anti-viral drug that is given intravenously. Two found that the drug the outcomes for patients hospitalized for...…Although coronavirus vaccines are now being rolled out, it will be months before most people have access to them. In the meantime, information about which treatments for COVID-19 are effective and safe is crucial.Below is a list of treatments for COVID-19 that have received considerable media attention in the last year. This list describes the latest state of the research on these treatments and which governmental organizations approve the treatment.Remdesivir: Remdesivir is an anti-viral drug that is given intravenously. Two found that the drug the outcomes for patients hospitalized for...WW…

Race and ethnicity could be the deciding factors in determining that essential workers, rather than people with serious illnesses or the elderly, will be second in line for vaccination for the novel .Defenders of this position say COVID-19 harms a higher percentage of racial and ethnic minorities, and so they should be prioritized by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the body within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention charged with constructing a plan for allocating the vaccine. The committee is set to unveil its recommendations Tuesday."If you look at the burden...…Race and ethnicity could be the deciding factors in determining that essential workers, rather than people with serious illnesses or the elderly, will be second in line for vaccination for the novel .Defenders of this position say COVID-19 harms a higher percentage of racial and ethnic minorities, and so they should be prioritized by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the body within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention charged with constructing a plan for allocating the vaccine. The committee is set to unveil its recommendations Tuesday."If you look at the burden...WW…