General
February 21 News: Mississippi six week abortion ban struck down, education tied to longevity, street medicine grows along with homeless population
STAT – In rough U.S. flu season for kids, vaccine working OK so far
It may end up being a bad flu season for kids, but early signs suggest the vaccine is working OK. The vaccine has been more than 50% effective in preventing flu illness severe enough to send a child to the doctor’s office, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. Health experts consider that pretty good.
CBS News – Mississippi’s controversial six-week abortion ban struck down by federal judge panel
Mississippi's controversial "fetal heartbeat" ban, an effective six-week ban on abortion, was struck down by a federal judge.
The Washington Post — Coronavirus-infected Americans flown home against CDC’s advice
CDC advised against putting 14 Americans infected with COVID-19 on a plane to the U.S., citing likely safety risks, but the U.S. State Department ignored its recommendation. Unhappy CDC officials demanded to be left out of the news release that explained that infected people were being flown back to the United States — a move that would nearly double the number of known coronavirus cases in this country.
Associated Press – Stress, rumors, even violence: Coronavirus fear goes viral
As the number of cases rises — more than 76,000 and counting — fear is advancing. And not just in the areas surrounding the Chinese city of Wuhan, the site of the vast majority of coronavirus infections.
Inverse — Study: The more education a person gets, the longer they're likely to live.
A new study reveals the number of years a person stays in school is the best predictor of their longevity — more than other factors like race or ethnicity.
CNN — Vaccines can prevent fatal complications from measles, study affirms
According to a new study, almost a third of all reported cases of measles have complications such as pneumonia, hepatitis and viral meningitis.
NPR — 5 years after Indiana's historic HIV outbreak, many rural places remain at risk
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention deemed 220 U.S. counties vulnerable to outbreaks because of overdose death rates, the volume of prescription opioid sales and other statistics tied to injecting drugs.
Street medicine teams are multiplying nationwide, with more than 90 across the country and some doctors weighing whether the practice should be taught in medical schools. The shift acknowledges not just the humanity of people who are homeless but also a nationwide failure to house them and provide health care to everyone who needs it.
BBC News — Wildfire smoke may cause life-long harm
Young monkeys naturally exposed to wildfire smoke showed lower-than-normal immune systems 12 years later.
