At a noisy summer block party in Providence one recent afternoon, community health worker Rosa Roman tried to interest a middle-aged handyman in a free tetanus shot. But he was scared. The man, who gave only his first name, Armando, 42, is from Puerto Rico. He said he spent the last 20 years living in […]
pandemic
Posted inNPR
What does a downtown rebound look like? More residents and weekend visitors
Ever since the start of the pandemic, the futures of America’s big-city downtowns have been in question. Philadelphia is just one example of a center city finding new ways to thrive.
Posted inNPR
A concentrated dose of history: The class of 2024 looks back
Everyone says you live through history, but “I don’t think anyone prepared us for this much history,” say the students in the Class of 2024.
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Posted inNPR
Launching an effective bird flu vaccine quickly could be tough, scientists warn
Federal health officials say the U.S. has the building blocks to make a vaccine to protect humans from bird flu, if needed. But experts warn we’re nowhere near prepared for another pandemic.
Posted inHealth, Stories
Quiz: Can you pass our 9 question test on the latest theories of COVID-19 transmission
The World Health Organization has issued a report updating terminology and explanations regarding the spread of the novel coronavirus. See if you’re up on the latest vocab.
Posted inNPR
How do we halt the next pandemic? Be kind to critters like bats, says a new paper
A team of scientists argue that new vaccines and treatments wouldn’t be critical if humans could figure out how to stop viruses from spilling over from animals in the first place.
Posted inNPR
The improbable victory over smallpox holds lessons for health threats in 2024
Physician Céline Gounder traveled to India and Bangladesh to bring back unheard stories from the eradication of smallpox, many from health workers whose voices have been missing from the record.
Posted inEpisode, Housing, The Weekly Catch
Documenting the pandemic, Middletown’s affordable housing problem, and more
An exhibit at the Providence Public Library shares images from a COVID-19 archive; a URI grad is priced out of his hometown; local musician Asher White plays a song from their latest album; the week in politics; and what to do this weekend.
Posted inArticle, Health
Departing interim health director: R.I. public health needs a booster
Rhode Island Interim Health Director Dr. James McDonald is stepping down later this month. He spoke with Health reporter Lynn Arditi about the pandemic and challenges that lie ahead. [This transcript has been edited.] Arditi: Dr. McDonald, your decision to step down as the Health Department’s interim director comes at a time when we’ve seen […]
Posted inArticle, Health
Rhode Island interim health director leaving
Rhode Island’s interim health director, Dr. James V. McDonald, is stepping down from his post, Governor Dan McKee’s office announced Thursday. McDonald, 59, who has led the Health Department since Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott stepped down as director in mid-January, is leaving to move closer to his family in upstate New York, where he is originally […]