Who is allowed to care for patients? And when, where and how can they do it? Those questions have been the focus of more than 450 bills and 200 executive orders introduced in state capitols since COVID-19 hit. “This is the wild west,” said Bianca Frogner, director of the University of Washington Center for Health
https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s4780019/audio/2022/09/kidsmedicaid-feature-web.mp3 Kathreen Friend is a pediatric registered nurse based in Doniphan, Missouri — a small town of about 1,800, just 15 minutes north of the Arkansas border. As the lone pediatric specialist in her county, it’s not unusual for her days to fill up with appointments. “I see a large volume of kids every single
URBANA – Distribution of the new bivalent COVID-19 booster began last week across Illinois, including in Champaign County. The bivalent booster offers more protection against the Omicron variant because it combines the original strain of COVID-19 with the most recent one, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Previous boosters only protected against the SARS
WASHINGTON — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending updated COVID boosters, for people ages 12 and older. These newly authorized shots are reformulated versions of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines and they’re available at pharmacies, clinics and doctors’ offices around the country. Listen to this story here. The boosters target both
URBANA – The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is recommending that everyone wear high-quality face coverings in classrooms starting Monday, August 29. The advisory was sent to all students, faculty and staff in an email from Chancellor Robert J. Jones on Sunday night. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has ranked Champaign County as “high”
CHAMPAIGN — Thursday was the first day of school for most Champaign Unit 4 students. Students at International Prep Academy welcomed the second year of fully in-person classes after the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was very, very cool, because we got to do tons of new activities,” says fifth grader Annayaretze Martinez. “At
WORCESTER, Mass. — Millions of students are heading back to college for their third full academic year since the COVID pandemic hit. But as students move into their dorms and sign up for classes this year, things are different. On many campuses, the masking restrictions are gone. Classes are being held in-person, testing requirements are
URBANA – US Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said Thursday morning that he will work remotely after testing positive for COVID-19. In a statement, the 77-year-old said he is vaccinated against the illness. “Thankfully, I am fully vaccinated and double boosted and only experiencing minor symptoms,” said Durbin. “Consistent with CDC guidelines, I will quarantine and
URBANA — The annual county fair marks the beginning of summer’s end in Champaign County. The Champaign County Fair opened its gates on Friday evening to begin its 169th year after being canceled two years ago due to COVID-19. For some fair attendees, it was nice to return to the normalcy of pre-pandemic county fairs.
SPRINGFIELD — While COVID may not be top of mind for people anymore, the pandemic isn’t over. And for some who have had COVID, neither is their illness. Many patients with long COVID experience symptoms for weeks or months after their initial infection has passed. https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s4780019/audio/2022/07/20220719-secovid2wayweb-edit.mp3 Listen to this story here. Nationwide, 1 in 5
SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker has tested positive for COVID-19 and is isolating at home, his office announced Tuesday, three days after he spoke at a gathering of Democrats in Tampa, Florida. Pritzker’s press office said he is experiencing mild symptoms and has received the anti-viral medication Paxlovid, a drug that received Emergency Use Authorization
On July 1, Governor J.B. Pritzker froze a proposed gas tax hike, while suspending the grocery tax on certain items. These were two of many initiatives meant to quell rising inflation. Dean Baker, a senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, described inflation as a time when “most prices are rising,” as
COLUMBIA – Mo. — Offshoots of the omicron coronavirus variant have driven a spike in cases in the U.S. Some scientists believe clues to how these subvariants emerge lie in wastewater, and tracking them down could help prevent the next dangerous strain of the virus. https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s4780019/audio/2022/05/covidvariants-web-edit.mp3 Listen to this story here. Marc Johnson, a professor
URBANA – The president of the University of Illinois system is working from home after testing positive for COVID-19. In a statement to the university, Tim Killeen says he tested positive for the virus on Saturday. He says his symptoms are ‘relatively’ mild. The 70-year-old says he is fully vaccinated and has had two booster shots.
INDIANAPOLIS — At the start of the pandemic, many wished there was a pill people could swallow to make a COVID-19 infection go away. Two years later, we have not just one, but two of those pills, in addition to other outpatient and inpatient treatments. https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s4780019/audio/2022/03/covidfunding-feature-web.mp3 Listen to this story here. The federal government established