THE STATE’S SECOND SURGE is continuing to build in intensity, with the number of cases starting to accelerate well beyond levels experienced during the first surge. But the outcomes of those cases, in terms of deaths and hospitalizations, are so far much less severe. The number of cases hit a new daily high on Thursday […]
Health Care
Posted inHealth Care
Baker expecting vaccines for 150,000 people this month
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER said he expects the state to receive 300,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of the month, enough to treat 150,000 people since the initial treatments require two doses per person. Baker declined to say who will receive priority for the initial doses. A federal advisory panel earlier this week recommended […]
Posted inHealth Care
Vaccination catch-22 in black community
WITH TODAY’S ANNOUNCEMENT that the United Kingdom has approved use of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine, the first Western country to sign off on mass use of an immunization, the crucial effort to finally rein in the pandemic has now begun. Similar approvals are expected in the coming days in the US and other elsewhere. A critical […]
Posted inHealth Care
Vaccine panel prioritizes health care workers, long-term care residents
Hey there – Just a quick reminder that we’re running our final CommonWealth fundraising campaign of 2020 — it’s called Give a Little, Get a Lot. If you’ve enjoyed our comprehensive coverage in 2020, you can help set us up for an even better 2021 by becoming a member and donating here. Thanks in advance! A […]
Posted inHealth Care
Out-of-pocket COVID-19 test costs piling up
OVER THE LAST two months, Aaron Zannini has faced a COVID crunch – waiting hours in line for four precautionary coronavirus tests at Carewell Urgent Care centers in Cambridge and Somerville that ended up costing him a total of $640. Zannini is part of a growing group of people who aren’t symptomatic but want a […]
Posted inOpinion
Teens need our help coping with COVID
BEING A TEENAGER has never been easy. These days, the challenge of developing and maintaining a healthy self-image is even more challenging in an era where life is dominated by devices and the constant need to keep up with the latest Instagrams, Snapchats, and TikToks. And then along comes COVID-19. Coronavirus has shattered everyone’s normal […]
Posted inHealth Care
Amid pandemic, health care visits still haven’t rebounded
THE NUMBER OF people seeking health care in Massachusetts dropped dramatically when the coronavirus pandemic hit – and eight months later, it still hasn’t totally rebounded, according to new data from the Health Policy Commission. The data show that as of the end of September, emergency department visits in Massachusetts remained 20 percent below normal and inpatient hospital […]
Posted inHealth Care
State will roll out rapid testing in 134 school districts
STATE OFFICIALS ARE rolling out a rapid testing program in 134 school districts, where students who show symptoms of COVID-19 will be able to get test results in just 15 minutes. Education Commissioner Jeff Riley said testing will help schools “identify infected individuals and close contacts more quickly and stop the spread.” Riley said while news […]
Posted inOpinion
Here’s my tipsheet for pending telemedicine legislation
THE CHALLENGES presented by COVID-19 have resulted in unprecedented changes to healthcare systems nationwide. Before the pandemic, only 1 percent of all physician visits in the US were conducted via telehealth. That number spiked to almost 50 percent in just the first month of the public health emergency, according to Medicare claims data. While telehealth […]
Posted inHealth Care
Baker implores Mass. residents to ‘get serious’
SOUNDING MORE and more like a coach trying to rally his team against a superior opponent, Gov. Charlie Baker on Friday implored Massachusetts residents to take COVID-19 seriously. He said infections have been headed in the wrong direction since Labor Day and are rising faster and faster. He insisted the problem for the most part […]