Health
Vermont Prisons Used Lockdowns To Slow Coronavirus, But Prisoners’ Mental Health Suffered
None of the 1,200 or so people held by the Vermont Department of Corrections died from COVID-19, making it the only state in the country with no coronavirus fatalities among its incarcerated population. But while protocols like regular testing and lockdowns might have helped Vermont prisons avoid the worst of the pandemic, the strict lockdown…
Read MoreThe Shot And A Shave: Inside A COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic At A Nashua Barbershop
In the back of La Fama 2 Barbershop in Nashua, a group of men gather around black pleather couches, examining the vials and needles used to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine laid out on the coffee table. They tease each other about who’s brave enough to get the shot first. “Do you want me to hold…
Read MoreNext Generation RNA Technology Could Unlock Treatments For Chronic Conditions
Even before scientists used modified RNA to create the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines, they dreamed of using the engineered genetic code to revolutionize medical treatments for many other diseases. There’s just one major problem: The body destroys the strands of RNA soon after they are injected. That’s fine for use in vaccines that aim…
Read More‘You Can Just Get It Right Now’: A Push To Address Hampden County’s Vaccination Disparities
Although Massachusetts has one of the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the country, Hampden County has the lowest rate in the state — with major racial and ethnic disparities among who is getting the shot. Local health departments are focused on making the vaccine as visible and convenient as possible for hard-to-reach populations, but that’s…
Read MoreDomestic Violence Advocates Describe Increased Demand For Support Services During Pandemic
Rhode Island saw a surge in calls to domestic violence helplines in 2020, as people were directed to stay home to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As much of the state reopens, domestic violence prevention advocates say the need for support services remains high. Every day, Neyda DeJesus answers calls from domestic violence survivors seeking…
Read MoreHospital Emergency Departments Bearing Brunt Of Youth Mental Health Crisis
For Dr. Joeli Hettler, the symptoms kids are showing up with in her emergency room are not only extreme — they’re confusing. “I have never seen so many kids come in with unusual complaints, like a body part that won’t stop shaking, or a body part that they can no longer move,” said Hettler, chief…
Read More‘COVID Hit Us All So Hard’: Vt. Hospice Workers Say PTSD Will Last Years
The trauma of the pandemic has affected many: health care workers, first responders, even grocery store clerks. Hospice workers – who deal with death every day – were heavily affected. The isolation of the coronavirus pandemic turned hospice care on its head. While the death rate from COVID-19 has dropped, some hospice workers worry about…
Read More‘It Just Stays With You’: The Corrosive Health Effects Of Decades Of Anti-Asian Violence
Fear opens with the front door for Lisa Wong. It walks her down the street, and it follows her into the grocery store. Fear is a strange voice calling out from a passing car. It lurks around every corner. Fear is in her Zoom calls when she works as town manager of Winchester. That fear…
Read MoreFor Deerfield Community School, Some Pandemic Changes Are Here to Stay
A year ago, New Hampshire schools shut down for what many thought would just be three weeks. Now, schools across the state are reopening fully. NHPR’s Sarah Gibson visited Deerfield Community School, where teachers and students have been spending a lot of the pandemic outside. And as they return, many are hoping that doesn’t change.…
Read MoreTraveling By Boat, Vaccinators ‘Injecting Hope’ For Maine Islanders
Even as the number of clinics that offer the COVID-19 vaccine has grown, some Mainers still face challenges getting access. Sometimes the barrier is no internet connection. Sometimes it’s finding a ride. And for some communities, it’s miles of ocean. Residents of Maine’s islands face unique hurdles in their efforts to get vaccinated, but a…
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