CDC's Kentucky risk map looks about the same as last week, but Beshear says 'Covid is definitely increasing' and counsels caution

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Robert Slaton dies at 81; was a catalyst for many health projects, including Passport Health Plan and Kentucky Health News

Robert Slaton, Ed.D. Robert Slaton, a former Kentucky public-health commissioner and health-care consultant who was a catalyst for various health-improvement projects in the state, including Passport Health Plan and Kentucky Health News, died Dec. 27 after suffering a stroke a few days earlier. He was 81 and lived...

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As he leaves public office, Dr. Anthony Fauci says the biggest change in public health has been the normalization of falsehoods

Dr. Anthony Fauci (Associated Press photo by Alex Brandon) As Dr. Anthony Fauci retires after five decades in public health, he says he worries that lies and misinformation are creating a "profoundly dangerous" time for science and the public. "Untruths abound and we almost normalize untruths," Fauci told The...

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Poll of rural Americans finds them more aware of, and more willing to discuss, opioid problems; 47% still see stigma

Morning Consult graph: 2017 and 2022 responses to question about access to care. Click to enlarge. Rural Americans say they are more aware of, and more willing to talk about, the opioid problem in the nation and their communities than they were five years ago, according to an online poll of rural adults sponsored by...

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More than 1/3 of Kentuckians are enrolled in Medicaid. How many in your county? How many kids? What are their big health issues?

Screenshot of health portion of Cabinet for Health and Family Services report on Clay County By Al Cross Kentucky Health News Most Kentuckians probably don't know much about Medicaid, but for more than one in three people in the state, it is a lifeline. In some counties, more than half the residents are Medicaid beneficiaries....

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Critical access hospitals, which turned 25 in 2022, are vital to providing health care in rural areas; Kentucky has 25 of them

By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Critical access hospitals celebrated their 25th anniversary in 2022. The designation was created to ensure the financial viability of the nation's small, rural hospitals. Kentucky has 25 of them, and at least one health official says they may be more important now than ever.  "I...

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Risk of Covid-19 increased last week in Ky.; booster vax rate low; exercise can thwart severe cases; dogs can detect the infection

By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News The federal Covid-19 risk map showed more Kentucky counties at medium and high risk of transmission than last week, and the number of counties at low risk dropped to just over half.  "Covid-19 does appear to be increasing following the Thanksgiving holiday so it's important that...

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After Russell County school employees were educated about adverse childhood experiences, suspensions dropped by half

Russell County (Wikipedia map) Suspensions of elementary-school students in Russell County have dropped by half since 2019, when teachers, staff, counselors, and bus drivers began getting intensive training on the effects of childhood trauma on students' mental and physical health, reports Nadia Ramlagan of Public...

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Big, real-world study confirms Covid-19 shots provide much more protection than natural immunity, especially against death

Vaccines give significantly more protection than natural immunity against Covid-19, especially against death, according to one of the first large, real-world studies comparing the two forms of immunity. The study found that to be true of all age groups in protecting against death, hospitalizations and emergency department visits. "The lower death rate of vaccinated individuals was especially impressive for adults ages 60 years or older," said...

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How to manage your mental health in the holiday season

By Dr. Gopalkumar Rakesh Assistant professor of psychiatry, University of Kentucky For many, the holiday season is not always the most wonderful time of year. With work and school deadlines quickly approaching, holiday shopping expenses piling up, and back-to-back large social gatherings, this time of year can eventually take...

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Rep. Guthrie, in line to head health panel, says priorities include Medicare oversight, Covid-19 origins and price transparency

U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-2nd District (C-SPAN screenshot) U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie of Bowling Green discussed several health issues that Republicans will focus on when they take over the House during an interview with Caitlin Owens of Axios, including price transparency, investigations into the origin of Covid-19...

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Two studies, one of seniors and the other of all ages, show Covid bivalent booster shots very effective at preventing severe disease

Katelyn Jetelina, right, interviews the CDC's Dr. Ruth Link-Gelles about boosters. By Katelyn Jetelina Your Local Epidemiologist We got an early holiday present. One of the last puzzle pieces about the fall Covid-19 boosters was released today: data on the effectiveness against severe disease. We have nine lab studies and one real-world study showing the fall boosters provide: Greater protection against infection and transmission, by boosting...

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How to not pick up pounds during the holidays, and how to eat in general: Consume more in the morning, less in the evening

By Michael Crupain, Michael Crozien and Ted SpikerNational Geographic Heading into the winter holidays, 'tis the time for eating — and plenty of it. But food can affect your body differently throughout the day, so let’s take a closer look at that internal timepiece. Understanding your biological clock is the key to shifting your body to optimal function. The biological clock is your body’s automated energy conservation system, influencing behavior...

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Federal audits reveal widespread overcharges, other errors in Medicare Advantage plans; Humana and United stand out

Illustration by Eric Harkleroad, Kaiser Health News, from federal Medicare data By Fred Schulte and Holly K. HackerKaiser Health News Recently released federal audits reveal widespread overcharges and other errors in payments to Medicare Advantage health plans, with some plans overbilling the government more than...

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58% of Kentucky adults say the pandemic is over for them, and resistance among the unvaccinated to getting a shot is increasing

By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Four in seven Kentucky adults (57%) think the pandemic is over in the state and more than 80% say concerns about Covid-19 will not keep them from attending or hosting gatherings during the holiday season, according to a Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky poll taken from Oct. 29 to Dec....

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New cases of the flu outnumber new cases of the coronavirus in Kentucky, but deaths from Covid-19 went back up last week

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention map, adapted by Kentucky Health News By Melissa Patrick and Al Cross Kentucky Health News Newly confirmed cases of influenza are outpacing new cases of the coronavirus in Kentucky, and the state is among the national leaders in new flu cases. Meanwhile, though, deaths from...

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Number of Ky. counties with high and medium Covid-19 risk tick up a bit; Beshear says it's likely due to 'post-Thanksgiving bump'

CDC map, adapted by Ky. Health News By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News The number of Kentucky counties with high and medium risk of Covid-19 transmission on the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention map released Thursday were about the same as the week before, when they were higher than they...

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Epidemiologist says the dreaded triple-demic is here, with RSV, flu and Covid-19 cases all rising together

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention map With national rates of influenza, Covid-19 and respiratory syncytial virus rising together, the "dreaded and much anticipated triple-demic is finally here," epidemiologist Katelyn Jetelina writes in her newsletter, Your Local Epidemiologist.  RSV...

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