Month: December 2021
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Health reporter writes ‘Five things about Omicron that I want my friends and family to know’
Dan Diamond, a health reporter for The Washington Post, recently posted a Facebook thread about the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. It went viral, so he turned it into a story for the...
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At-home pill for Covid-19 is approved but supply is limited; Ky.’s positive-test rate nears 10%; case rate stable
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News The good news about the pandemic Wednesday was that the first antiviral pill to treat Covid-19 was granted emergency-use authorization. The bad news was...
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Why it’s important for children to be up to date on vaccinations
By the Kentucky Department for Public Health Immunization is one of the greatest public-health achievements, preventing tens of thousands of deaths, millions of cases of disease, and saving billions of dollars...
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Experts urge use of respect, plain facts when talking to rural, conservative skeptics of coronavirus vaccines
“Many people in rural and conservative areas remain frustratingly resistant to vaccination, challenging public health officials to come up with more convincing — and sensitive — approaches to promoting greater...
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Health-insurance companies’ group makes 27 grants of up to $25,000 each to improve vaccination rates in Kentucky
The Kentucky Association of Health Plans, which represents companies offering health insurance in Kentucky, has awarded 27 grants aimed at increasing acceptance of vaccines, especially those for Covid-19. The grants of...
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Biden to get free, at-home Covid-19 test to Americans in January; metrics in Ky. are high but mostly stable; positive-test rate is up
A rapid test kit for the coronavirus —- By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News As health officials predict a “national surge” in Omicron cases, President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced...
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As highly contagious Omicron variant becomes dominant in U.S., Beshear says Ky. cases will rise and he will watch hospitalizations
Ky. Dept. for Public Health graph, adapted by Ky. Health News; click on it to enlarge. —- By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Cases of the coronavirus cases and the share of...
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Flu cases in Ky. more than double in a week; health officials encourage everyone 6 months and older to get a flu vaccine
Dept. for Public Health map shows flu cases by county; for a larger version, click on it. —– By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News As influenza cases in Kentucky more than...
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Masks can prevent Covid-19, and there ways to make them more effective; claim that they trap excess carbon dioxide is false
Photo by Kemal Yildirim, Getty Images —– Wearing a face mask can help prevent the spread of Covid-19, ad certain mask combinations and modifications can increase a mask’s effectiveness. A study led...
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Nations with mask policies had fewer Covid-19 deaths early on
Photo by David J. Phillip, Associated Press —– Mask policies in various countries have been shown to reduce deaths from Covid-19, regardless of the role of vaccines. A study published in the American...