health Headlines
COVID-19 vaccination proof will be required for Broadway patrons, workers
Wang Ying/Xinhua via Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Anyone hoping to catch a Broadway show as the Great White Way reopens this fall will need proof of vaccination along with their ticket. The Broadway League announced Friday that theater owners and operators of all 41 New York City theaters will require all theater attendees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 for all performances through October 2021. Additionally, this also applies to all performers, backstage crew and theater staff. Masks will also be required for audience members while inside the theater "except while eating or drinking in designated locations." Theatergoers will need to be fully vaccinated with an Food and Drug Administration or World Health Organization-approved vaccine and must show proof of vaccination ... Read More
All pregnant people should get COVID-19 vaccine amid delta variant surge, leading health organizations say
MarsBars/iStock(NEW YORK) -- The nation's two leading health organizations focused on the care of pregnant people have issued new guidelines calling on all pregnant people to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The new joint recommendation from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) comes as the United States faces both a low vaccination rate and a summer surge of COVID-19 cases as the more contagious delta variant spreads. Just 16% of pregnant people in the U.S. had received more than one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of May, compared to the nearly 58% of Americans ages 12 and up who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for ... Read More
Front-line workers in Florida say current COVID-19 surge ‘feels like it’s an impending storm’
tuachanwatthana/iStock(TAMPA, Fla.) -- A jarring reality check is taking place in intensive care units across the country as thousands of COVID-19 positive patients, nearly all of them unvaccinated, are streaming into hospitals in need of care. This is particularly true in Florida, where virus-related hospitalizations have skyrocketed in recent weeks. The situation has escalated rapidly, now nearing peak levels, with nearly 7,900 patients hospitalized with the virus across the state, up by more than 320% in the last month, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "It feels like it's an impending storm ... there's no off ramp to this getting worse," Dr. David Wein, an emergency room physician at Tampa General Hospital in Florida, told ... Read More
New evidence has doctors worried about long-term damage from COVID ‘brain fog’
xavierarnau/iStock(NEW YORK) -- A flurry of new scientific findings is prompting renewed concern among doctors about the long-term cognitive impacts of COVID-19 in some patients. Several new studies presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference, being held this week in Denver, have found that many COVID-19 patients experience "brain fog" and other cognitive impairments months after recovery. This adds to a growing body of research on COVID-19's apparent long-haul symptoms, which can include confusion, forgetfulness and other worrying signs of memory loss. "This research features the first data from an international consortium, which includes the Alzheimer's Association, investigating the long-term consequences of COVID-19 on the brain," Heather Snyder, the vice president of medical and scientific relations for the Alzheimer's Association ... Read More
States with surging COVID-19 rates also tend to have higher rates of uninsured
Lubo Ivanko/iStock(NEW YORK) -- As COVID-19 cases surge across much of the United States and many vaccinated people return to indoor masking, a pattern appears to be emerging -- the same states that are seeing the biggest increases in COVID-19 infections also have high rates of residents who don't have health insurance. While COVID-19 data changes daily, as of Wednesday, the 12 states with the highest seven-day new case rates also had higher than average uninsured rates, according to data from the American Community Survey and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "It lines up with everything we've seen during the pandemic," said John Brownstein, Ph.D., the chief innovation officer at Boston Children's Hospital and an ABC News contributor. ... Read More
How some restaurants are reacting to CDC guidance: Masks indoors, proof of vaccination
halbergman/ iStock(NEW YORK) -- Bars and restaurants are once again at the forefront of a polarizing business decision 16 months into the pandemic: Whether or not they should require patrons to wear masks inside or show vaccination status in order to dine safely. Parts of the country are bracing for change after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended Wednesday that vaccinated Americans wear masks indoors in areas with high COVID-19 transmission rates due to the increasing spread of the delta variant. The agency did not publish new research but cited, “CDC COVID-19 Response Team, unpublished data, 2021." From coast to coast the restaurant industry has been hard-pressed to follow ever-changing health protocols throughout the pandemic to keep ... Read More
Biden’s federal workforce vaccine mandate could inspire companies to follow suit
Prostock-Studio/iStock(WASHINGTON) -- The Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for federal workers could set the groundwork for more private sector organizations to follow along. But it also is likely to trigger an avalanche of lawsuits from those who say required vaccinations infringe on the civil liberties of Americans. President Joe Biden is expected to announce on Thursday a plan requiring all federal workers to be vaccinated or comply with "stringent COVID-19 protocols like mandatory mask wearing -- even in communities not with high or substantial spread -- and regular testing.” The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says that employers can require their employees to be vaccinated with exceptions being granted for religious and medical reasons. Federal law does not bar organizations from ... Read More
Biden’s federal workforce vaccine mandate could inspire companies to follow suit
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