Health officials in Ingham, Washtenaw and northern Michigan counties are dropping mandates within days.
Michigan Health Watch
In-depth reporting on the intersection between public policy and important health topics ‒ such as insurance coverage, hospital admissions, opioid abuse, access to care, medical research and the business of health care ‒ that impact nearly every Michigan resident.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
How to get free N95, KN95 masks and COVID tests in Michigan
The number of new COVID cases is falling in the state, but with the omicron-fueled pandemic still high, health officials say masking and testing remains critical. Here’s where you can get them for free.
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Next up: COVID vaccines for Michigan children under age 5
Pfizer is seeking FDA approval of a COVID vaccine aimed at protecting infants and young children against the coronavirus.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Beaumont-Spectrum merger: history says higher costs, not better care
Michigan’s two health care giants have partnered, and that could mean big savings for the new system. The question is whether savings will be passed to the consumer. Recent studies give reason to be skeptical.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Deaths exceed births in Michigan. Blame COVID, but long-term trends are grim
The pandemic turbocharged a problem years in the making: Michigan is aging faster than the nation as a whole and newcomers aren’t replacing old-timers. That’s not a recipe for a winning economy.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
COVID may be here to stay. So much of Michigan is weighing risks, moving on
Omicron may be a turning point. Unlike previous waves, data indicates Michiganders this time are still going out to eat, attending concerts and carrying on almost as normal.
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U-M study: Ivermectin doesn’t treat COVID, but insurers pay for it anyway
Studies have since dashed the initial promise of the anti-parasitic drug to treat COVID-19, but a U-M-led study finds ivermectin is still being prescribed, and is still being covered, in part, with taxpayers dollars.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Mailbox-bound: Free COVID tests now available for Michigan homes
A federal ordering website, due to open for business Wednesday, opened Tuesday, a day earlier than expected.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Omicron requires a better mask. How to choose one that’s best for you.
Two years after a global scramble to manufacture masks, options abound — some legit and some not. We know that N95-type masks are best and cloth masks are worst. Here’s how to choose.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
As omicron rages, rural Michigan shrugs shoulders and resists vaccine
Inside the effort to change people’s minds in Cass County, which has the lowest vaccination rate in Michigan. ‘People just don’t want to deal with COVID.’