Martha Bebinger
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Fatal overdoses are down in most parts of the country. Worcester, Massachusetts, has seen a dramatic drop in deaths. Officials credit a hands-on approach to helping drug users where they are.
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There’s no single reason for the slight drop in opioid overdose deaths across most of the U.S. last year. But finding new ways to make Narcan available in public, 24 hours a day, is helping.
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Vermont and Massachusetts lead the nation, with more than 70% of adults having had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Southern states such as Tennessee lag far behind. -
The practice of housing children who are in psychiatric crisis in local ERs — often for days, while they await appropriate in-patient treatment — has become even more prevalent during the pandemic. -
Data from a Boston hospital showed that Latino patients who did not speak English well had a 35% greater risk of death from COVID-19. The hospital has added interpretation capacity. -
From heat-related illness to mosquito-borne infections, physicians are seeing the effects of a warming planet in the exam room. There's a growing push to teach doctors-in-training how to respond. -
A survey of 17 cities found more than 50,000 pandemic-related eviction filings. Housing advocates worry that increased housing instability will lead to more COVID-19 and other illnesses. -
Doctors are researching why some patients remain unconscious for days or weeks, even after sedating drugs are withdrawn. They also worry that these patients aren't being given time to recover. -
The state offers support and resources for people isolating because of COVID-19 — helping them make choices that keep everyone safe. It's work more states need to fund, experts say. -
Nationwide, coronavirus infection numbers are trending down, but several states are seeing upticks, with the heaviest impact falling on communities of color and nursing home residents.
