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Reflections on courage in the midst of a pandemic

Keith Carlson Medical & Allied Healthcare

Public health crises have frequently arisen during the late 20th and early 21st centuries, including SARS, MERS, Ebola, HIV/AIDS, H1N1, and now COVID-19. A pandemic of this magnitude has not reared its ugly head since 1918, and there are only a handful of living centenarians who remember that deadly year. Whether considering the current coronavirus response in terms of economics; local, tribal, state, or federal government; patient care; public health; mitigation; scientific research; essential services; acute care; or primary care, courage is a central pillar of our individual and collective efforts.

Counting carbs? 3 alternative options for tasty sweets

Damon Sayles Food & Beverage

For many trying to lose weight, junk foods are an Achilles' heel. Let's be honest: There's nothing like the soothing taste of candy, cake, chocolate and everything in between. It's a guilty pleasure ... but what if that pleasure wasn't as guilty? What if you could eat low-carb snacks that taste just like the sweet items you're used to? Allow me to present to you three sweets that taste just like the more unhealthy substitute. Let it be said that the following information isn't a shot on any product by any means; it's simply a means to provide healthier alternatives.

Infographic: How to practice social distancing without feeling isolated

Brian Wallace Mental Healthcare

Before COVID-19, 52% of American adults said they felt alone at least some of the time. But you don't have to feel isolated while social distancing during the pandemic. This infographic outlines the threat of isolation as well as how to remain connected during these trying times.

Infographic: How smart cities can defend against pandemics

Karlyn McKell Science & Technology

As our world becomes smarter, so do our cities. Find out how futuristic urban planning can help defend against pandemics such as COVID-19.

Searching for COVID-19 treatments: The RECOVERY trial

Dorothy L. Tengler Pharmaceutical

In December 2019, with less than 500 confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide, a small trial was initiated at the Jin-Tan Hospital to investigate whether anti-viral drugs would relieve the symptoms of COVID-19. The findings from this study will be part of the new Randomised Evaluation of COVid-19 thERapY (RECOVERY) trial, which provides a platform to evaluate about 20 treatments that are currently thought to have potential for treating COVID-19. The chief investigator in the RECOVERY trial will be Peter Horby, Professor of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Global Health in the Nuffield Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford, who was also part of the small trial in Wuhan. In contrast to the usual six to nine months for a trial to get started, the RECOVERY trial enrolled the first patient in nine days.

As virus peaks, so does the conversion of temporary hospitals

Scott E. Rupp Facilities & Grounds

Among the daily deluge of coronavirus-related news, a theme among the headlines is the abundance of temporary medical hospitals that continue to be developed. The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is leading these efforts, operating under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Convention centers, hotels, and other large-scale gathering areas continue to be evaluated as the virus ravages the nation, from hotspots such as New York City to the county's interior, like Kansas City.

Manufacturing immiseration in the economy of essentials

Michelle R. Matisons Manufacturing

The Trump administration reluctantly employed the Defense Production Act (DPA), but it is now operative in an economic crisis routinely compared with the 2008 Great Recession and the Great Depression before it. What happens in the manufacturing sector is critical, as it faces a triple threat: climate change uncertainties; COVID-19 supply and demand chain disruptions; and routine overproduction and outsourcing. One analysis gaining traction is that advanced industrial economies, largely dependent on fossil fuel extraction, are downsizing and simplifying anyway.

Could the pandemic mark the end of surprise medical billing?

Scott E. Rupp Healthcare Administration

The White House has said "no" to surprise billing for patients receiving treatment for COVID-19, and hospitals agreeing to accept money as part of the $2 trillion stimulus bill must agree not to engage in the practice. Surprise billing happens when a patient with health insurance is treated at an out-of-network hospital or when an out-of-network doctor assists with the procedure at the hospital. Bills for such services can range from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars.

Postpartum depression: When delight turns desperate

Lisa Cole Mental Healthcare

What happens when your "bundle of joy" becomes that "baby from hell"? Our culture perpetuates the fallacy that once we pop a baby out, then it's smack dab back to normal. This mentality denies the difficulties associated with the "fourth trimester." The physical, mental, emotional, existential changes and challenges of this period don't just go away once you’ve delivered. Postpartum depression is only now beginning to get its due.

As COVID-19 cases swell, the trucking industry struggles to keep drivers…

Gail Short Transportation Technology & Automotive

While many Americans are sheltering in their homes to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, long-haul truckers are traveling down the highways day and night delivering food, medicines and other essential goods to grocery stores, hospitals and pharmacies. But what happens if a trucker gets coronavirus or feels ill while on the road? While driving heavy or tractor-trailer trucks has always put drivers at a high risk for accidents and injuries, COVID-19 poses an added danger. But, as the pandemic rages on across the country, truckers, their employers, associations and others are working to keep them healthy.

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