Health
Rental housing program delivers $41.5 million in aid to struggling Kansas households
TOPEKA — Olathe residents Sheryl and Gary Evert were among thousands of Kansans struggling to pay their rent during the COVID-19 pandemic. They eventually sought assistance under the Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance program authorized by Congress and financed through federal coronavirus relief legislation. Under KERA, the Kansas Housing Resource Corporation, or KHRC, has granted $41.5 […]
Evidence shows that, yes, masks prevent COVID-19 – and surgical masks are the way to go
Do masks work? And if so, should you reach for an N95, a surgical mask, a cloth mask or a gaiter? Over the past year and a half, researchers have produced a lot of laboratory, model-based and observational evidence on the effectiveness of masks. For many people it has understandably been hard to keep track […]
Who will get a booster shot? A Q and A about what the feds are saying
WASHINGTON — Booster shots soon will begin rolling out to some Americans who received the two-shot vaccine made by Pfizer — after a contentious and confusing federal approval process that isn’t over yet. Determining who exactly should be rolling up their sleeves for an additional dose was tricky. The Biden administration had leapfrogged federal regulatory […]
Tribal health providers working to build on Kansas vaccination successes
TOPEKA — In light of data showing Indigenous people are more likely to contract COVID-19, tribal health leaders are working toward further successes in vaccinating native populations. Federal data shows American Indians and Alaska Natives are 3.5 times more likely to be infected than their white counterparts. In response, health advocates have made a concerted […]
Kansas middle schooler death prompts urgency from COVID-19 school safety panel
TOPEKA – The recent death of a Kansas middle school student from COVID-19 raised the urgency Wednesday of a panel focused on pandemic school safety to implement precautionary measures across the state. In addition to the death, outbreaks at schools across Kansas more than doubled over the last two weeks, and cases have continued to […]
Orphaned, infected, in crisis: How the pandemic is traumatizing kids
WASHINGTON — The coronavirus pandemic has brought heartbreaking consequences for millions of U.S. children, even as most avoided serious illness themselves, pediatric experts told Congress on Wednesday. Take, for instance, a young girl from Tennessee named Sophia, whose story was relayed by Dr. Margaret Rush, president of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University. Within […]
‘Mission critical’: Four numbers show why abortion rights in Kansas face an urgent test
This is not a drill. Extremist anti-abortion forces have victory in their sights, and women across the nation have good reason to fear the imminent end of Roe v. Wade. This reality could soon come to Kansas. The U.S. Supreme Court earlier this month refused to stop an unprecedented Texas law that effectively bans all […]
Kansas foes of COVID-19 vaccinations push for political protection from mandates
Conservatives, Republicans come together at Lenexa church revival to consider how best to advance an anti-vaccination agenda in state's political process.
Views from Kansas: Predicting Supreme Court’s attitude on COVID-19 mandates tricky business
Kansas legal gurus not eager to predict U.S. Supreme Court's interpretation of state or federal mandates in response to COVID-19.
Kansas anti-vax group boasts 16 sponsors ahead of ‘freedom rally’ in Lenexa
TOPEKA — A prominent anti-vaccination group has planned a “freedom rally” for Monday in Lenexa with the sponsorship of a nursing agency, midwifery, dental office, chiropractors, pharmacies and businesses that promote the healing properties of elderberries, tea biotics, red light therapy, hemp and gluten-free baked goods. Kansans for Health Freedom identified 16 “professional partners” in […]
KU researchers optimistic about bringing in-home COVID-19 test to market
University of Kansas researchers are closer to submitted for FDA approval an in-home, saliva-based testing tool for COVID-19. The unit could be on the market in early 2022.
FDA panel backs COVID-19 booster shots only for elderly and high-risk Americans
WASHINGTON — A federal health advisory panel wrestled Friday with whether to widely authorize a booster dose of Pfizer’s two-shot COVID-19 vaccine for most Americans, ultimately recommending that a third dose be offered only to older or higher-risk individuals. The Biden administration had hoped that states could begin rolling out a wide national booster shot […]